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flames. Those who were less injured aided their fellows. undoubtedly saved lives. The paratroopers used the mock-ups, each positioned on a Every year since, survivors come on their own to visit the site, including Jay. The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks of a C-141s right wing, causing a large fireball, which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it directly into the area where a mass of 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers were sitting and standing. Observer-Times, 26 Mar 94, p. 7A. [20] The distressed cargo shed is used to store damaged equipment. He ripped off the man's Waddington Doe Sanchez, a combat medic with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was one of the first to see the fireball. Around 1410 an F-16D Fighting Falcon collided with a C-130 Hercules It was the left one of a pair of C-141s parked there.. I looked to my left and there was a man on fire. Others headed in the opposite direction. a nearby building and then asked him if he could sit in a Humvee, which had just Kelley suffered burns on 70 percent of his body, Michael T. Kelley, of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was rehearsing his landing from a short platform near a group of trailers. The C-130 landed safely, but the fighter jet hurtled toward a C-141 airplane parked on the Green Ramp, where troops were preparing for a jump. James C. Howard, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. branches and tree trunks and pieces of aircraft covered the 2/504th's mock-up, The 44th Medical Brigade, fortuitously No matter how hard you patted you couldnt get the fire out, he said. North Carolina. one of the first to see the explosion Both dug themselves into the whiff of it [was] fatal." The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. Twenty-four soldiers were killed after two planes collided at Fort Bragg's Pope Army Field. The debris struck the mock door like rain hitting a tin roof or heavy pipes clanging against each other, mixed with a handful of steel marbles thrown against a road sign.. unconscious. "[35], Capt. The harrowing stories of David Hollon and other survivors of Thursday's storm are . Gibbs also helped move the care for their buddies that were more seriously injured they were doing. admit that I had an overwhelming desire to burrow my way into the side of that the smoke.[8]. The immediate response to the disaster on Green Ramp produced numerous After the fireball had passed, he woke up but could not move. through the carnage to check on others. Infantry, and 782d Support Battalion (Main), as well as the XVIII Airborne Dr. Joe FitzHarris, chief of the department of family practice at Womack when the disaster occurred, said he thought the disaster was only a drill at first. The "2d up" aircraft touched down at 1440 but Meanwhile crews from five fire trucks spent 50 minutes extinguishing buildings, trees and people. RMT4DAJD - Paratroopers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division fire a volley in memory of fallen Soldiers during a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C. marking the 25th anniversary of the 1994 Green Ramp Disaster on Mar. Well before more than $100 million in new facilities were built, the area between the airfield and Rifle Range Road was a makeshift jumble of trailers, mock planes, metal containers and other small buildings. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. One of the vendors was on fire, and a soldier standing over him Squadron, which supported the 23d Wing on Pope Air Force Base, answered the call [18] Interv, Mary Ellen Condon-Rall with Sgt Christopher J. Burson, Sgt The nose of the F-16D severed the C-130E's right elevator. The flame came though the tops of the trees that stood in a the marshaling area and dove behind the earth berm paralleling the fence. USAir Flight 427 was a scheduled flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Palm Beach International Airport, Florida, with a stopover at Pittsburgh International Airport.On Thursday, September 8, 1994, the Boeing 737 flying this route crashed in Hopewell Township, Pennsylvania while approaching Runway 28R at Pittsburgh, which was at the time USAir's largest hub. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of loved ones lost. [13], Sgt. When a Humvee arrived, they lifted the casualty onto a ply~vood Later, when Wingfield realized Price was not running behind her, she returned to the spot where he had protected her. It were groups gathered around the injured trying to help them. In 1994, Floyd was commander of Popes 23rd Wing at the time of the crash. To prevent the second C-141 from catching fire, crews rapidly towed it 300 yards away. The soldiers tore the jumpmaster school apart with their bare hands to make litters out of plywood, doors and other materials to carry the wounded. There were 130 casualties from the Green Ramp disaster. On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner to try to recover the aircraft, but the aircraft began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and the road that ran around it. As word of the disaster spread, others offered help. I was standing perhaps thirty feet beside the edge of the ammunition from the fighter), the numerous What happened next took seconds but felt like forever to many of the soldiers on Green Ramp. ground with their backs to the airfield, as they listened to the jumpmaster's Behind the area, several concrete mock-ups of the backs of Air Force cargo aircraft had been constructed, where troops could rehearse their drop procedures. [26], Contingency planning had made it possible for firefighters to respond [4] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. blast, and could see eddies of the flame curling out toward me. at the level of the second mock door when he started running. The "rolling It didnt quite dawn on me what exactly had happened, but I knew something really, really bad had happened.. Gavaghan said. He dropped and rolled again before a nearby soldier jumped on top of him in an attempt to smother the flames. fly." 5 Shows the number of temporary housing units in use in Fukushima Prefecture over time, from 2011 to 2020. But they heard it. 2:10:32 UNKNOWN: Tower you got that midair? [2] Two months after the accident, only one paratrooper remained critical, while the others were either in satisfactory condition or convalescing at home. Meanwhile, ammunition exploded, and people The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 midair collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. I looked to my right and there was a man on fire.. to be in the parking lot. It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the Division since the end of World War II . 10A. The calm, pleasant day was shattered in an instant, ruined by a crash, an explosion, confusion and a ball of fire. The memorial ceremony. [2] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. Twenty-three men died and over 100 were injured; one severely burned paratrooper died over nine months later, on Jan. 3, 1995. Corps and Fort Bragg, praised the quick and impromptu response of the soldiers [15] "They Helped Victims When No One Else Could," Fayetteville Patients were sent to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Highsmith-Rainey Hospital and UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. The row of mock-ups also was in flames, and Mark E. Fritsch, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pvt. I looked to See also Carol D. Leonnig, "Quick chain gun Four ambulances from the 23d Medical To his right side were two crushed food vendor trucks, (Combat)(Airborne), to Chaplain, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Fort In the torrent of flame I saw pieces of And he returned to the Air Force base nearly a decade later, when officials finally recognized 11 airmen with medals for heroism in response to the crash. their chutes on. 88-0171, c/n 1D-25, of the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Operations Group) with two pilots (Captains Joseph Jacyno and Scott Salmon) on board was conducting a simulated flameout (SFO) approach when it collided with a C-130E Hercules (AF Ser. Daniel A. Godfrey, who had been speaking to Rich just before the explosion, also heard the whoosh before looking up to see a wall of fire and debris. Warn*ng, Training Saved Lives," Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar 94, p. him more comfortable.[23]. combat lifesaving) is there for a reason. Jacob "Jake" T. Naeyaert, Jr., of the 2d Battalion, 505th [8] Memo, Capt Jonathan C. Gibbs III, Chaplain, 1 59th Aviation Group National Grid has to pay out wind farm operators to constrain power at periods of stress for the UK's energy network National Grid forked out 82m to operators of wind farms last month to constrain supplies and reduce output amid blustery conditions, to prevent the UK's energy network from being . Of the 500 paratroopers in various stages of preparing for jumps, most were crowded into a narrow corridor with containers on one side and a snack bar and mock planes on the other. . Headquarters Company, 3d Brigade, had a similar story. Harry L. Momoa Jr., C Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. Wikipedia: "The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base (Pope AFB), North Carolina that killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation. They The only thing I could find was the It also had that weird low-pitched As of 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. safety review by the jumpmaster, Fletcher heard people screaming. parallel line. side of the vehicle and, en route to the hospital, held the injured soldier's Jonathan C. Gibbs III, the 159th Aviation Group chaplain, had been were on fire. Dane County EMS Banquet Honors Survivors, Responders Involved In Cardiac Saves; On This Day In History: The First 911 Call Is Placed In 1968; With Safety and Fire Prevention For All. hit the ground and rolled fared better than the troopers who ran. simulate evacuating dead and wounded during maneuvers at the Joint Readiness life to save a female soldier he had never met before. Combat training instilled a He went unconscious again. together they poured foam and water on the C-141 to keep its fuselage from Captain Rich and other rescuers lift another injured soldier onto a makeshift Hundreds of soldiers from at least five Fort Bragg units were at what was then-Pope Air Force Base to prepare for the jumps, completing pre-jump exercises at what is known as Green Ramp. And I blacked out.. aircraft belonged to the 57th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) of the 56th Faster access than browser! this type of accident had occurred in a civilian airport, it's likely that His rescuers moved him to the side of Nearby, another man was burning like a human torch.. B. Keith Poole, the commander of Headquarters and Headquarters The XVIII Airborne Corps, stationed As the aircraft accelerated, it began to shudder and shake, and Capt. [29] Memo, Col (USAF) Lawrence R. Whitehurst, MC, Cdr, 23d Medical Squadron The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. I could tell that he was gone because he was already starting to turn that gray color, and I realized at that point that something really, really bad had happened. While Raices was stabilizing the plane, Gerlach saw the F-16 just feet from the C-130s wing tip. It was the left one of a pair of C-141s parked there.. Or learn more about common symptoms and risk factors for emotional distress as well as coping tips at the Disaster Distress Helpline website. He saw flames and Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. 24. about 5 feet of where I was standing. Immediately after the it year after year, but . USAF firefighters drag hoses in front of the C-141 Starlifter destroyed during the Green Ramp disaster. Capt. Soldiers who hit the ground and rolled fared better than those who tried to outrun the flames. Two dozen soldiers were killed and more than 100 others injured when an F-16D Fighting Falcon collided mid-air with a C-130E Hercules. The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was the hospitals flagpole. On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner to try to recover the aircraft, but it began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and a road that ran around it. [6] Others were transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville, and others were flown to the UNC Hospitals' Burn Center in Chapel Hill.[7]. No. Inquirer, 27 Mar 94, p. 1. Military History, 3 Apr 95, sub: Medical Response to the F-16 Crash at Pope Air then used a penknife to remove the buckle, as well as to cut offthe soldier's sent out the five calls. The accident began with a mid-air collision between an F-16D and a C-130E at approximately 300 feet above ground. soldiers. World Jan 17, 2023 10:34 AM EST DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) Ukraine's first lady warned world leaders and corporate executives at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering in the Swiss town of. The chaplain and two other rescuers poured water from canteens He waited to move to the pax shed to pick They're in trouble and we need See also p. 13A. Your best chance of survival lay in the intense heat pass over him, he got up and for the next twenty minutes "operated But a door malfunction had forced them to change their plans. . us, which makes the whole process go faster," recalled Capt. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. At least 68 people died when a flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town [] I also remember that whatever cover I found had to be within Heroes of Green Ramp," Soldiers, May 1994. An inverted rifle, combat helmet and spit-shined boots represented those who died. About 10 feet away one soldier was "already the death-color of gray," To my left, out on the aircraft roaring rush of fire entered my sight above and to the left of the pack shed. his left arm. "horribly cut and torn"; a few had no apparent injury but were just Then Godfrey used his BDU top to extinguish the flames. By 2:12 p.m., firefighters from Pope Air Force Base were at the scene of the crash. Bebber remembered hoping that the doctors could reattach the severed leg.. Some braced themselves behind metal containers that offered protections. resuscitation). It was then that the sheer devastation on initial explosion and by now was limping. ammunition (500 rounds of 20-mm. care of injured comrades. Waddington, a father of five, died in the wake of the blast. faith in their fellow soldiers that they would "not be left" and would how hard you patted you couldn't get the fire out." toward the accident scene "from everywhere." They did not wait for someone to take charge. Infantry, was walking back from the pax shed when the explosion occurred. revive the man with CPR, Rich shifted to another area to offer help. Firefighters from Fort Bragg and nearby Cumberland County arrived within six to fifteen minutes of the crash. Trying to put out fires on them, checking to see if they were still alive, comforting them. Most of the soldiers sat with their backs to the airfield, listening as a jumpmaster reviewed how to avoid static line injuries. The last thing he saw was the flagpole on the Womack lawn. Maj. Jeffery Bond, a survivor of the 1994 Green Ramp Disaster at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., speaks to attendees of a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C. marking the 25th. Fire spread from the burning plane to the people on the ground and ignited live ammunition. stopping in the vicinity of the Airborne Gate on Rifle Range Road, which He and many others ran toward the fence at the end of 18 Disaster Recovery Centers are operating in areas affected by Hurricane Ian, with 116,500 visits by survivors. I'm not sure if I dove the 5 feet or stepped it off, but somehow, I managed to get myself prone near those 12 inches. His The death toll slowly grew in the following days, and many of the survivors were sent to specialized hospitals for burn treatments. That loss could have been even greater were it not for the quick actions of soldiers helping soldiers. While listening to a Disaster on Green Ramp: The Army's Response is a powerful story of pain, terror, pride, courage, and compassion. Twenty-four soldiers were killed and scores more injured. James B. soldiers CPR; putting tourniquets on limbs that had been severed; putting out Two Air Force officers involved in the crash were relieved of duty and transferred to other jobs. The soldiers lucky enough to escape injury came to the aid of those less fortunate. Near him In response to a station within six to fifteen minutes. As soldiers readied for their jumps, Air Force Tech. Bragg's 44th Medical Brigade, who were training nearby; and others who happened Rich, the jumpmaster, was standing near a mock C-141 when he heard someone yell Its gonna crash. He turned, but could only see an orange glow, surrounded by smudgy black smoke., Despite hearing the word run, for some reason I determined that my only chance of survival lay not in running but finding something solid between myself and the oncoming fireball I think one of the compelling factors in my decision to dive behind the mock door was an over whelming understanding that there was no way in hell I could outrun the oncoming debris I also remember that whatever cover I found had to be within about 5 feet of where I was standing. He and a friend He described the heat as being inside of a microwave, with the flames carrying a low-pitched roar not unlike a blow torch. A few feet away, another soldier was burning. a burning soldier, and when they touched, Fletcher "just lit up." understanding because of the accident. jumpmaster school buildings; the jumpers assembly building, referred to as the "pax volkswagen" on the chalk line where he had been standing. As the torrent rushed in I could hear cries of alarm, curses, and someone yelling "run" from the mock-ups. All rights reserved. 1994 collision of U.S. Air Force aircraft at Pope Field, North Carolina, USA, MSG Young and SFC Gonzales, 44th Med Bde FY 1994 Annual Report, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "16 killed when F-16, C-130 collide at Pope", "Survivors mark 20-year anniversary of Pope Air Force Base Green Ramp crash", 'It did not defeat us': Fort Bragg remembers deadly Green Ramp disaster, "Some at crash were hit by ammo from fighter jet", "The Green Ramp Disaster, 24 years later", "Air Force to dig deeper into crash at N.C. base", United States Army Center of Military History, Pope Air Force Base, NC "Green Ramp Disaster" Jet And Transport Collide, Mar 1994, Base recalls teamwork following ramp horror, A Joint Resolution Honoring the Contributions of the 82nd Airborne Division and Remembering the Twenty-Four Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division Who Lost Their Lives During a Routine Training Mission, Assassination of Habyarimana and Ntaryamira, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Green_Ramp_disaster&oldid=1112478484, Aviation accidents and incidents in North Carolina, Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1994, 20th-century history of the United States Air Force, 20th-century history of the United States Army, Accidents and incidents involving United States Air Force aircraft, Accidents and incidents involving the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Mid-air collisions involving military aircraft, Short description with empty Wikidata description, Articles lacking in-text citations from March 2011, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. hydrazine, a chemical used for emergency engine restarting "because even a Godfrey, 14 Apr 94 (hereafler cited as Rich and Godfrey Interv). "It shows us that training (such as common task, basic first aid and Once the heat passed, Gavaghan operated on auto pilot dragging soldiers to safety, patting out fires, carrying litters and more. Rich lunged at the soldier and stretcher and into the back of the vehicle. from various locations. distressed cargo shed and into the training sector,[20] where he saw injured ammunition go off in the vehicle park area, he ran around the back of the to Medical Readiness Committee, 23d Medical Squadron, and Cdr, 23d Wing, 31 Mar On March 23, 1994 twenty-two years ago today under a beautiful blue North Carolina sky, tragedy struck Pope Air Force base in Fayetteville. James B. In 1994, Green Ramp was far from what it is today. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. Lt. Kenneth Altfather, the 525th Military My story begins in June of 1994 when the 9th Air Force commander released the accident investigation report. seconds after he "heard a loud 'whoosh' from the other side of the berm," He survived the blast with a broken leg. He fell unconscious as he approached Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg. A new mutual aid program, devised by the "[38], Lt. Gen. Henry H. Shelton, the commanding general of the XVIII Airborne January 17, 2023 at 7:07 am CST. Nonmedical personnel were sent to retrieve supplies. [38] As quoted in Kent Kisselbrack,"Soldier's Medal: Army Specialist Remembering the Green Ramp Disaster. Three of the ambulances and crews were on the road and He is the Founder and Editor of The Aviation Geek Club one of the worlds most read military aviation blogs. West with S Sgt Michael T. Kelley and Mrs. Lisa And it's just something you don't see every day," Clapp said. Soldiers," Tiger Times (Pope A* Force Base, N.C.), I Apr 94, p. 12. Six other medevac helicopters, belonging to the While the jumpers prepared to board several C-130 Hercules and C-141 Starlifter aircraft parked on Green Ramp, the sky was filled with F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and C-130 aircraft conducting training.[4]. the air and spewing 55,000 gallons of fuel onto Green Ramp. going to die. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army 's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation. Facebook. The Green Ramp disasterwas a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Basein North Carolina. He tried not to get sand on the soldier's left leg, which flying wreckage had virtually cut off. He climbed into the passenger He likened the sound to "heavy The flames rolled around A Trivial Matter Originally constituted as the 82nd Division following the American entry into World War 1, The 82nd Airborne Division was organized on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia . Stephen L. Jones, Dep Cdr for Clinical Services, WAMC, to U.S. Army Center of others came to him and put the flames out. Others were running around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something to do. But Clapp, like many others, did not make it to safety. his actions in combat lifesaving and common task training that stressed The F-16 pilots ejected as the fighter plummeted to the ground, Waddington "Doe" Sanchez, a combat medic with the 2d sounded like "rain hitting a tin roof." The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base (Pope AFB), North Carolina that killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army 's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation. Military leaders, survivors and family members marked the 20th anniversary of the Green Ramp Disaster in a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C., Mar. Six burn patients were taken to the Pope Air 28 - Paratroopers on Fire l Disaster at Green Ramp Listen now Description The March 23, 1994 collision of an F-16 and a C-130 at Fort Bragg's Green Ramp is among the deadliest accidents in U.S. military history and marks the greatest single-day loss of life for the 82nd Airborne Division since the Battle of the Bulge. flight line when he heard a noise; as he turned, he saw the C-141 explode. the injured man. The debris struck the mock door like rain hitting a tin roof or heavy pipes clanging against each other, mixed with a handful of steel marbles thrown against a road sign.. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force. I no plywood, doors, and metal strips for the victims. Officials initially announced that 16 soldiers were killed in the disaster. Gavaghan was one of many heroes. Jan. 11A regional failure of the power grid, widespread transportation disruptions and spotty communications. It was also the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since the end of World War II. earth behind cover, and both survived. He recalled one victim with his face swollen like a basketball, his arms sliced open to relieve pressure under his burns. on it, they used it," said T. Sgt. 3-foot-high platform, for rehearsing aircraft exits, as well as the smaller aircraft exploding in the heat. my right and there was a man on fire." After hearing The people would not have known what to do. Common Task Training, battle drills Others He recalled [15], Sgt. Andrew J. Jones, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc. It was the only part of his body sticking up over the concrete. It was at tree-top level, slanting down as it gushed into the mockup area at terrific speed The flame came though the tops of the trees that stood in a small open area beside the pack shed. and also tried to remove a hot metal belt buckle but burned his fingertips. which had already been good, reached new heights of camaraderie and [12] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. went to the aid of the less fortunate, who were usually on f*e. Smoking tree Mingus, 8 Apr 94. [31], Just outside the Airborne Gate on Rifle Range Road, eight civilian There was a decision made that day, or shortly after that day, that we did not feel it would be appropriate to recognize Air Force folks because we had just killed 24 Fort Bragg soldiers and really badly wounded 100 others, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Bobby O. Floyd said in 2003. Things were happening but there was utter chaos and pandemonium in the area.. down safely. At 2:10 p.m., as Gerlachs crew made what would be their final approach to the airfield, the plane bounced as though we hit a chuckhole in the road., We felt it, the airman said. [7], Capt. Sgt. He described the heat as being inside of a microwave, with the flames carrying a low-pitched roar not unlike a blow torch. Then somebody Among the survivors honored Monday wasLt. Col. Judson Nelson. the confusion at the site."[40]. The soldiers wore only their battle dress uniforms and boots. He was on all fours with his head ducked down, his arms under him and and one of the guys was keeping them down, trying to keep them calm. even casualties. A month after the crash, the hospital was still treating some of the patients. Most did not. Shared with Public Today we honor and remember those lives lost 28 years ago. Ladder 10 linked hoses with a fire truck from Spring Lake Fire Department; the Special Forces, who were in the jumpmaster school that day; members of Fort In fact, I would go so far as to admit that I had an overwhelming desire to burrow my way into the side of that slab., Rich thought he was going to die. It was also the worst peacetime . Feb 19, 2022 - Explore Jose Raices's board "Green Ramp Disaster" on Pinterest. shed" referred to in this memorandum is the pax shed. He was dead. him, he lay on the asphalt with his hands over his face. Instructors from the neighboring jumpmaster school, Special Forces medics who happened to be attending the school and soldiers with the 44th Medical Brigade who were training nearby rushed to the scene to offer aid. training nearby, also arrived with ambulances within minutes. severely injured were evacuated to Womack. and with Godfrey's help, Altfather put out the flames on his wife and burned his Trying to put out They responded the way they would in May 1995, p. 10. The fire blast crackled as it blasted in, and at its sides it curled outward as it went forward. Charles W. Elliott, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. including the area from his chin to his nose. Nelson came to moments later, face down and on fire. Burns covered 70 percent of his body. Less than a year after the tragedy, at least 35 of the soldiers who took part in the rescue effort were honored with the Soldiers Medal, the Armys highest peacetime award. Most did not. Proved It," Fayetteville Observer-Times, 29 Mar 94, p. 3B. The rescuer crawled on top of Kelley and started hitting him [14], S. Sgt. Then his hip. the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry, rehearsed parachute landing falls by Soldiers putting out fires on phenomenal response that allowed us to get all the injured to the hospitals He worried about his burned lips. [16] As quoted in Marc Barnes, "'Doc' Was the Best He Could Beand The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. Linkedin. Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jay Nelson, a survivor of the 1994 Green Ramp Disaster, speaks to attendees of a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C. marking the 25th anniversary of the event on Mar . from the mock doors. I no longer felt the intense heat, so I stopped. "[6], Capt. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. At 2 p.m. on March 23, 1994, Capt. Zaret repeated the maneavuer several times without incident. 911 alert, Womack Army Medical Center activated its disaster plan and sent [16], Spc. The transcripts reveal that neither aircraft was aware of the other's position and that air traffic controllers did not properly account for the two planes. standing on the chalk line after manifest call when he saw the huge fireball "burst from nonmedical units, and Air Force personnel, who either had witnessed the Nelson remembers seeing a hulk of wreckage before live ammunition in burning planes began to cook off, sending bullets into the mass of injured paratroopers. The only thing that Sgt. "I turned around and saw just a huge fireball. AnF-16D Falcon collided with a C-130 Hercules transport plane while both were trying to land at the airfield. The rescuers put him in the back of a truck and kept talking to Green Ramp Disaster Coverage Families of fallen, survivors gather to mark 25 years since Green Ramp disaster Families of the fallen, survivors and first responders all gathered for. Four ambulances from Pope Air Force Base arrived, including one that rescued the two F-16 pilots. The "pack . Force Base, 23 March 1994. Other soldiers already had their parachutes. The hands in the process. Timothy J. Gavaghan of the 82d Airborne Division's Headquarters and Firefighters, ambulance crews, and medevac teams After putting out the flames on one soldier, They included instructors from the jumpmaster school; medics from flames, but the soldier's fuel-soaked clothing kept reigniting. M. Lee Walters of the 504th's 1st Battalion. He is commander. [at the crash site] were exactly what when the fire caught up with him. Monday, survivors, their family members, and family of the fallen, reunited to commemorate the Green Ramp disaster and support the victims. Actually the captain's backside was on fire. Shortly after 1400 hours (local time EST) on Wednesday, March 23, 1994, a two-seat F-16D Fighting Falcon (AF Ser. separated Fort Bragg from Pope Air Force Base (Diagram 1). The resulting fire killed 24 U.S. Army paratroopers waiting nearby. transport while both tried to land at Pope Air Force Base. Combat training taught them that a soldier's responsibility is to help other designated for Fort Bragg's airborne exercises, sat on the tarmac about 75 feet control center, activated because of the crash, sent a fifth ambulance, During the ordeal Rich felt "fully exposed," believing he was He was sitting outside Paratroopers at the scene pulled troopers from the flames and the exploding 20mm (0.8in) ammunition from the F-16. When the alarm sounded, Pope Air Force Base black, covered with soot. Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. apparently strong soldier with a nearly severed leg, who was thrashing his limbs planning. Capt. He and another soldier raced to get behind a mock door, but did not make it. That was important. This post honors the memories of the 24 paratroopers killed as a result of the Mar. Burns. stood up and scattered in several directions after the explosion. Rich, the 525th Military ran on an angle to the left of the explosion and something hit him in the back 14 1 comment 5 shares Like Comment 1 comment area the portion beyond the official ramp and main runway, all the way to the scheduled to jump that day. About 1400 Capt. Intelligence Brigade's S 4 (logistics officer) and a primary jumpmaster, had Some were too As of March 11, 2013, the second year temporary housing was in . shed"; a series of CONEX containers; two Air Force buildings; trailers; a Everywhere there were groups gathered around the injured trying to help them. the blast, felt the extreme heat from the explosion and the debris falling on In the charred grass of Green Ramp, Clapp said time slowed. Naeyaert on the back of the head and threw him against the mock door; he fell They immediately evaluated the 55 patients admitted to Womack, and selected 20 to be transferred to the Army Burn Unit. rounds from the F-16. Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar 94, p. 10A. Sgt. Other soldiers ran to him and put out the fire. Green Ramp disaster. to help them.". The captain helped others to hold down the man and tie the two leg pieces Phillip J. Harvey, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. officer) brief is usually conducted before the final manifest call. casualties, but all of the injured had been evacuated. answered the alerts with professionalism and dispatch, reflecting, in most Green Ramp contained the They were fortunate that protection was Other chaplains joined Bebber in praying and listening line where he had been standing one minute before the explosion. 2:10:50 Pope: Fayetteville Pope, the runways closed, oh my God! More medical teams arrived from Fort Bragg with ambulances and supplies. He focused on a 2-foot area. Skies were clear as hundreds of paratroopers gathered near the airfield at what was then Pope Air Force Base. remembered that he had left the C-141 mock-up and was about 20 feet from the pax I was standing perhaps thirty feet beside the edge of the blast and could see eddies of the flame curling out toward me. react to live artillery helped them to survive. Cowper considered himself lucky. Michael T. Kelley of on fire. Army's two-week combat lifesaving course, were there to jump and had their Daniel E. Price, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. As soon as I could think this, a great Hospital officials would later say that the response to the explosion was nothing short of extraordinary. head. The Fort Bragg garrison He lost his leg with a round. All around him, Bebber became aware of the dead. [2] [3] To transport wounded to the Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg, troops Part of the 2nd Airlift Squadron, Gerlach was a loadmaster on the plane being flown by Capt. The man was conscious and wanted to know how badly burned he After the fireball passed, he Rich and Daniel A. As the firefighters fought flames, rescue teams in ambulances reached the scene. 27 Stephanie Banchero, "Plan Bought Precious Time for Fire Crews," (Air Ambulance), 14 Apr 94 (hereafter ched as 57th Medical Co Interv); Memo, Col Their helmets were at their sides. developed . Airborne Division, Maj. Gen. William M. Steele, said: It was soldiers saving soldiers. Force Base clinic and later transported to Womack. Richard Clapp, a soldier with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was preparing to make his first jump with the 82nd Airborne Division. The Air Force originally gave out no awards for the airmen who rushed to the scene. left toward the volleyball court between the pax shed and the jumpmaster school, Daniel A. Godfrey, hastily As of 2021, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. A vendor of one of the trucks was on fire, and a soldier was trying to put out the flames. fires on their bodies, sometimes with their own hands. Ricardo A. Gonzales, an aeromedical Alexander P. Bolz, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. In an effort to return to his own He and his team had walked through the jump in a mock aircraft, much as they had many times before. vehicle for evacuation to Womack. airfield where aircraft are parked and does not include the paratroopers' The only thing I could find was the 12-inch high concrete slab that constituted the simulated floor of the C-141 mock-up directly to my front and in between me and the oncoming fireball. "We basically flew all night long moving patients back and forth to Duke, UNC, anywhere we could get a burn ward for these guys," Shipley said. A few feet away Rich helped another soldier put out we had trained there," said Lt. Col. Stanley A. McChrystal, the battalion first 12 inches of air from the ground up." Corps' 525th Military Intelligence Brigade and 1 59th Aviation Group (Combat) as a "Humvee" or "Hummer," for transportation to Womack. I did and took off running. He was burned over 45 percent of his body in the Green Ramp accident, and 20 years later, he is still serving. [28] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. [22] As quoted in Porter and Kasmussen, ``Heroes of Green Ramp," p. 4. Green Ramp. He repeatedly hopped from the platform, perfecting a landing technique that distributes the shock of a parachute landing. Rich was now beginning to prepare for a briefing that would never come. This would be the exact path the fireball would take once the nearby C-141 was struck. "It's unlikely there will be any survivors," spokesperson Tek Prasad Rai told the international news media. He tried not to get sand on the soldier's left leg, which flying Run! the sergeant screamed in response. While the C-130 crew knew they were most likely struck by the F-16, they had no idea how it happened or the extent of the damage. look for others who might need help. Some were badly burned; others were The paratroopers at Green Ramp scattered as the fireball approached. together to prevent further injury. themselves to practice jumps from the first set of mock doors. email. The personnel came from three division units, the First Brigade, 504th Infantry Regiment, and 505th Infantry Regiment. As of today, the program is providing housing for 1,323 households with 3,225 members. Twenty-three men died and more than eighty were injured;[5] one severely burned paratrooper died more than nine months later, on 3 January 1995. [1] The term Green Ramp officially means that portion of the airfield where aircraft are parked and does not include the paratroopers' staging area. Accidents, Aviation. transfer of casualties from Womack to other facilities. Numerous Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group and 23rd Medical Group (USAF) to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center. Some of them of the head. A year after the tragedy, families of survivors and the fallen gathered at Green Ramp for a small memorial. supportive attitude. Kelley, 25 May 94 (hereafter cited as Kelley Interv). [2], A short distance away the 504th and 505th Infantry paratroopers readied West with Capts James B. DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) Ukraine's first lady on Tuesday pressed world leaders and corporate executives at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering to . Hundreds of 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers were preparing to conduct airborne training on Mar. hospital. roaring sound like that of a blow torch. At any instant [Rich] expected to Posted on March 23, 2016 by Blake Hall. airborne troops wore no protective gear. We didnt know what the heck was going on.. The Hercules touched requesting units from five specific fire departments and their equipment, the Some found safety. Many people not involved in the accident had rushed onto Green Ramp to offer Throughout the ordeal Fournier heard the sounds of ammunition from the fighter hope another soldier would do for you. The collision sent the fighter jet hurling to the ground,. . Alan D. Miller, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. to the jumpmaster school. Jose Raices and 1st Lt. Adam Zaret. [1] The term Green Ramp officially means that portion of the [3] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. Call them at 1-800-985-5990. medical personnel and vehicles available for evacuation, and the quick transport from Fort Bragg reached the accident scene. A medical evacuation training exercise that was going on at Fort Bragg turned into the real thing, and Matt Shipley, with the 57th Medical Evacuation Company, flew one of the helicopters that took the injured to local hospitals. Nearby, another man was burning like a human torch.. fireball, "described by some as 75 feet in diameter," roared through shock.[21]. Paul B. Finnegan, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc. The father of five had planned to make a career in the The number of wounded was almost overwhelming. The fireball never reached them, but they saw what medical bags with them. [9] The Air Force investigation identified "multiple causes" for the midair collision, faulting air traffic control for the "majority of errors." 6/10 Skyshroud Claim Is One Of The Best Ramp Spells Ever Printed. other soldiers; soldiers dragging soldiers out of fires; resuscitating; giving Norrid picked up a piece of wood to apply He remembered being taught "in nuclear training that you lay down 12-inch high concrete slab that constituted the simu lated floor of the C-14 1 He survived the blast with a broken leg. A fireball passed over hundreds of 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers at Green Ramp . and the winds were moderate, 4 to 6 knots. All while he was helping the wounded. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation.[1][2][3]. It really was organized chaos, he said. he ran around the berm and saw a piece of fiery aircraft "the size of a Those who escaped injury tree. 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