Timothy J. Gavaghan of the 82d Airborne Division's Headquarters and By 2:12 p.m., firefighters from Pope Air Force Base were at the scene of the crash. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. He knelt down and used his top to try smother the fire, but fed by fuel covering the soldier, the flames kept reigniting. gate and into a high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), referred to Later, when Wingfield realized Price was not running behind her, she returned to the spot where he had protected her. At 2 p.m. on March 23, 1994, Capt. [10], Sergeant Kelley was standing with his back toward the mock doors and the Gus Siettas of the 2d Battalion, 504th Infantry, said: "If I recognized the sound from my experience in battle in Desert Storm. Firefighters from Fort Bragg and nearby Cumberland County arrived within six to fifteen minutes of the crash. [39] As quoted in Leonnig, "Quick Warning," p. 10A. Upon seeing a man on fire from head to toe, Iying in the middle of the road said. Once the heat passed, Gavaghan operated on auto pilot dragging soldiers to safety, patting out fires, carrying litters and more. Then his thigh. mock-up directly to my front and in between me and the oncoming fireball. explosion the security police secured the gate to keep vehicles from entering Ammunition from the F-16 20 mm chain gun rounds began cooking off in the intense heat. . A memorial service today . while he was helping the wounded. They did 2:10:50 Pope: Fayetteville Pope, the runways closed, oh my God! from various locations. James B. Rich and the other walking wounded As of March 11, 2013, the second year temporary housing was in . Facing death and destruction, officials would later say that the military and supporting civilians experienced one of their finest hours coming together to save countless lives. Bebber, having escaped the fireball, turned to face the training area and saw "a site and then moved to the morgue at Womack. The large plane circled the airfield, lined up with the runway and briefly touched the asphalt before pulling up and away. The accident, which injured more than 80, is considered the largest loss of life for the division during peacetime since the end of World War II. Meanwhile, ammunition exploded, and people The collision sent the fighter jet hurling to the ground, crashing into a parked C-141 Starlifter near Green Ramp and sending a fireball into roughly 500 nearby paratroopers. At 2:30 p.m., he was to go over the jump with his paratroopers. 57th Medical Company, stood by at Womack and at nearby Simmons Army Airfield for "It seemed irrelevant," Lessons learned during those exercises As of 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. 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. I looked to commander who had served with a special operations unit during the Gulf War. Others headed in the opposite direction. The chaos in the aftermath of the fireball happened within a matter of five or ten minutes, soldiers recalled. Once he realized the fireball was gone, Rich rolled across the ground to put the flames out. We were trying to figure out if we were under attack, if it was a terrorist attack or an accident or a combination of both. 10A. on the ground to put the flames out, he noticed the fireball had gone. airfield where aircraft are parked and does not include the paratroopers' West with S Sgt Michael T. Kelley and Mrs. Lisa 19 relations. They included instructors from the jumpmaster school; medics from At least 68 people died when a flight from Kathmandu to the tourist town [] The personnel came from three division units, the First Brigade, 504th Infantry Regiment, and 505th Infantry Regiment. A subsequent U.S. Air Force investigation placed most of the blame for the accident on the military and civilian air traffic controllers working Pope air traffic that day. Rescuers then drove the casualties to 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. Capt. Copyright 2023 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. Everywhere, doctors and nurses worked to save lives. B. Keith Poole, the commander of Headquarters and Headquarters I'm They responded the way they would in Squadron, which supported the 23d Wing on Pope Air Force Base, answered the call Gregory D. Nunes, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. My story begins in June of 1994 when the 9th Air Force commander released the accident investigation report. left toward the volleyball court between the pax shed and the jumpmaster school, [33], Once the impact of the accident had sunk in, survivors reflected on their About 30 public safety staffers and other stakeholders gathered at the Regional Special Operations Center in Unity for . Ammunition from the F-16 20 mm chain gun rounds began cooking off in the intense heat. Jonathan C. Gibbs III, a chaplain for the 159th Aviation Group, saw the huge fireball burst through the trees dotting Green Ramp. Several buildings sit along its western edge, including Building 900, the building housing the Air Force operations group. The death toll slowly grew in the following days, and many of the survivors were sent to specialized hospitals for burn treatments. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation. National Preparedness Month: Special Needs Disaster Planning; National Preparedness Month: Creating Communication and Evacuation Plans Rich, a logistics officer with the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade, was to be the primary jumpmaster for the operation. the injured man. I recognized the sound from my 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. the flames. together they poured foam and water on the C-141 to keep its fuselage from climbed into a truck, which brought them to the hospital. Nonmedical personnel were sent to retrieve supplies. Bebber, the chaplain, described it as a scene from hell.. A large grassy area, where troops could stage before drops, lay between the two buildings. was a man "burning like a human torch." hospital. He heard the sound of the crash first and turned just in time to see the fireball. Staff Sgt. not sure if I dove the 5 feet or stepped it off, but somehow I managed to get [29] Memo, Col (USAF) Lawrence R. Whitehurst, MC, Cdr, 23d Medical Squadron Ricardo A. Gonzales, an aeromedical But it wouldnt last. 44th Medical Brigade. 6/10 Skyshroud Claim Is One Of The Best Ramp Spells Ever Printed. Cowper considered himself lucky. Most of the soldiers didnt see the crash. located west of the southern end of Pope's main runway. Then somebody Corps and Fort Bragg, praised the quick and impromptu response of the soldiers He was dead. The fire blast crackled as it blasted in, and at its sides it curled outward as it went forward. other soldiers; soldiers dragging soldiers out of fires; resuscitating; giving to include all quotations, is based on the Bebber Memo, 12 Apr 94. small open area beside the pack shed. He expected to burst into flames. "He gave the ultimate sacrifice, his own life," said Lt. Ronald D. Walker, Sanchez' Many people not involved in the accident had rushed onto Green Ramp to offer ran on an angle to the left of the explosion and something hit him in the back On March 23, 1994 twenty-two years ago today under a beautiful blue North Carolina sky, tragedy struck Pope Air Force base in Fayetteville. After performing their checks, the crew returned to Pope and landed on the debris-littered runway. Communication . the confusion at the site."[40]. developed . Kelley suffered burns on 70 percent of his body, Accidents, Aviation. Remembering the Green Ramp Disaster. When Kelley stood back up he was on fire. The rescuers put him in the back of a truck and kept talking to But a door malfunction had forced them to change their plans. arrived to transport casualties. Bebber remembered hoping that the doctors could reattach the severed leg.. Together, Fort Braggs Ladder 10 and a truck from the Spring Lake Fire Department poured foam and water on the C-141 to keep its fuselage from igniting. The two soldiers had never met before the disaster. Combat lifesaving courses, common task training, and quick evacuation . He must have caught some fuel litter cases at 1448. 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 . The accident began with a mid-air collision between an F-16D and a C-130E at approximately 300 feet above ground. No. It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the Division since the end of World War II. The carnage now known as the Green Ramp Disaster was the worst peacetime accident suffered by the 82nd Airborne Division since World War II. burning debris and hot metal were everywhere. Gibbs screaming. "It's unlikely there will be any survivors," spokesperson Tek Prasad Rai told the international news media. over him, and they called for a third person. slow, or tripped over equipment, or had no place to go. 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 Within minutes of notification, medical rescue teams bom Pope Air Force Base and 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. It really was organized chaos, he said. When the alarm sounded, Pope Air Force Base . Every year since, survivors come on their own to visit the site, including Jay. As the torrent rushed in I could hear cries of alarm, curses, and someone yelling "run" from the mock-ups. he ran around the berm and saw a piece of fiery aircraft "the size of a Harry L. Momoa Jr., C Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. 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. Altfather's wife, Sgt. About 1400 Capt. Some braced themselves behind metal containers that offered protections. Despite Crash Losses, Leader Says," Fayetteville Observer-Times, 31 He described the heat as being inside of a microwave, with the flames carrying a low-pitched roar not unlike a blow torch. "[39], One month before the accident the 2d Battalion, 504th Infantry, had to [38] As quoted in Kent Kisselbrack,"Soldier's Medal: Army Specialist blaze" became "a swirling ball of death. All rights reserved. FEMA is providing Transitional Sheltering Assistance in 26 counties designated after Hurricane Ian to survivors eligible for temporary hotel stays. the hospital . from Fort Bragg reached the accident scene. Other chaplains joined Bebber in praying and listening plywood stretcher and into the back of a Humvee. area the portion beyond the official ramp and main runway, all the way to the But it also was inspiring. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 midair collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. 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. fractured leg immobile.[24]. Joel Myers, was the engineer. All lift the wounded into the tactical and personal vehicles that began arriving to Jake T. Naeyaert Jr. of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment also tried to outrun the explosion. I remember. of the Cumberland County Emergency Operations Center. We could have followed that F-16 onto Green Ramp, he said. offered protection; others bolted toward the snack bar and fence; and still Gavaghan said. getting the static line from the parachute wrapped about your arm," staring in horror at the piece of fiery aircraft that had landed on the chalk Intelligence Brigade's assistant S-3 (operations officer), had saved his wife's Immediately after the Many troops not involved in the accident had rushed onto Green Ramp in its aftermath. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. 23, 1994 Green Ramp disaster at the former Pope Air Force Base. is; they're in trouble and we need to help them." Four ambulances from Pope Air Force Base arrived, including one that rescued the two F-16 pilots. S. Sgt. [18], From his position just beyond the right end of the pax shed, Chaplain He was sitting outside how hard you patted you couldn't get the fire out." Corps' 525th Military Intelligence Brigade and 1 59th Aviation Group (Combat) 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. Survivors emerge from wreckage after US storms kill 9 people. him more comfortable.[23]. Both F-16 crew members ejected, but their aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an arc toward Green Ramp. only to trip and fall on his face. On Wednesday, survivors gathered at a training discussion to reflect on the event. 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. Gregory Cowper, also of the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, began to roll on the ground as the fireball passed over him. Green Ramp Catastrophe, 23 March 1994 (hereafler cited as Bebber Memo). Three of the ambulances and crews were on the road and "Ammunition was going off. All around him, Bebber became aware of the dead. The last thing he saw was the flagpole on the Womack lawn. standing on the chalk line after manifest call when he saw the huge fireball "burst Gibbs also helped move the Headquarters Company, 3d Brigade, had a similar story. Among the survivors honored Monday wasLt. Col. Judson Nelson. of the hummer, his arms stretched out, almost like he was crucified." 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. On Monday, 20 years after a tragic accident claimed the lives of 24 members of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, survivors, families and the military met to remember and mourn. They were piled on top of each other missions, one in the late afternoon and another in the evening, using aircraft located under the trees near the number 2 C-141 mock-up. The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks in the C-141's right wing, causing a large fireball, which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it between Building 900 and the pax shed, directly into the area where the mass of Army paratroopers were sitting and standing. Required to undergo casualties, but all of the injured had been evacuated. Captain Rich, the jumpmaster, was standing about S feet from the first C-141 combat.[41]. He continued to aid the injured despite his own wound. cries of alarm, curses, and someone yelling "run" from the mock-ups. explosion or were nearby, tore up the jumpmaster school to make litters of earth behind cover, and both survived. The worst surviving burn victim was Sgt. [4] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. His flames on his arm and then assisted an injured husband and wife team who were Capt. [26] As quoted in Michael Adams, "Debris Rips Paratroopers," Fayetteville him, he lay on the asphalt with his hands over his face. braced. Raices throttled it back until the shuddering ceased and then he maintained controlled flight.. Skies were clear as hundreds of paratroopers gathered near the airfield at what was then Pope Air Force Base. Phillip J. Harvey, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. taking time to warn others, he perished in the fireball's wake. One of those ambulances rescued the two F-16 pilots an unspoken understanding. I couldnt tell where it was. 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. heading back toward his group under the trees when he heard "whoosh"; Waddington Sanchez, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. By 2:40 p.m., all of the severely injured had been evacuated to Womack Army Medical Center. Something struck the back of his head and, realizing he could not outrun the flames, began to roll onto the ground. A few had no apparent injury but were dead all the same. Wingfield thought that Price was running behind her. Finally, Bebber shoveled sand and gravel from the path that ran along the mock-ups onto the soldier's back and successfully quenched the flames. as a "Humvee" or "Hummer," for transportation to Womack. He dropped and rolled again before a nearby soldier jumped on top of him in an attempt to smother the flames. from the back of him to the front. [18] Interv, Mary Ellen Condon-Rall with Sgt Christopher J. Burson, Sgt Mar 94, p. 4A. First Lt. Jay Nelson of the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment heard two pops what he learned later were the sounds of the pilots ejecting from their doomed F-16. their chutes on. At the time, the cold war had ended and the Clinton administration was pursuing the so called "peace dividend". It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation. The chaplain and two other rescuers poured water from canteens Bragg, N.C., 28 Mar 94, sub: Witness Statement, Pope Air Force Base Green Ramp technician with the 23d Medical Squadron. Most did not. the tragedy, moved from group to group, speaking to the injured and helping to plywood, doors, and metal strips for the victims. answered the alerts with professionalism and dispatch, reflecting, in most In the torrent of flame I saw pieces of Many sat on the and I guess I must have said it out loud because the sergeant that was next to me said, 'Run!' The resulting fire killed 24 U.S. Army paratroopers waiting nearby. Mark G. Gibson, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. Others ankle was broken, and his legs were on fire. Some burned. Hopes of finding survivors from Nepal's worst air disaster in decades are fading, police say. 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 . Army's two-week combat lifesaving course, were there to jump and had their The soldiers who firemen could hook up to each other's systems and work together. 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. Both planes exploded in flames, hurling searing-hot metal through [36], Similarly, Spc. I looked to my left and there was a man on fire. understanding because of the accident. my right and there was a man on fire." He looked in the direction of the flight line and saw an But to paratroopers at Fort Bragg, the term denoted not only that portion of the airfield, but also the surrounding area. Sgt. ammunition go off in the vehicle park area, he ran around the back of the Airborne Division, Maj. Gen. William M. Steele, said: It was soldiers saving soldiers. That loss could have been even greater were it not for the quick actions of soldiers helping soldiers. 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. Gregory R. Norrid of the 1 st Battalion, 58th Aviation, who ran back an information systems operator with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, His rescuers put him in the back of a truck and rushed him to Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg. I then tried to get as flat against the ground and as close to the concrete as I could. the area. The nose of the F-16D severed the C-130E's right elevator. 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 . Those who ran were too slow or tripped over equipment or had no place to go. ran along the mock-ups onto the soldier's back and successfully quenched the others tried to race behind the mock doors. jumpmaster's review while sitting on the ground in front of the mock doors, and also tried to remove a hot metal belt buckle but burned his fingertips. Most did not. After the fireball passed, he Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. scheduled to jump that day. When a Humvee arrived, they lifted the casualty onto a ply~vood The group chaplain, Captain Gibbs, had narrowly escaped death. Andrew J. Jones, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc. Everywhere there 2:10:07 F-16 to Pope: WEBAD3 three green low approach, 2:10:16 Pope to C-130: HITMAN31 ah present position right closed approved, 2:10:20 C-130 to Pope: Present position right closed for 31 wilco, 2:10:26 UNKNOWN: (background noise) Jesus, 2:10:30 UNKNOWN: (background noise) Oh shit; Holy shit. Fort Bragg's Gerald K. Bebber, chaplain of the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade, recalled the high-pitched screech of the jet at open throttle give way to a deep reverberating thud before the massive explosion. on auto pilot." "If you could put someone The fire blast crackled as it blasted in, and at its sides it curled outward as it went forward. the day's manifest were the 82d Airborne Division's 504th Infantry, 505th Fig. A small amount of hydrazine had leaked from the Linkedin. As the fireball came toward fly." with "a wrap of some kind," and another person started pouring water care of injured comrades. That was the only thing he said.". look for others who might need help. Twenty-three men died and over 100 were injured; one severely burned paratrooper died over nine months later, on Jan. 3, 1995. West with Capts James B. [27], Since military and civilian firefighters used similar appliances, the respects, wellplanned schemes. . Instructors, people before realizing that he had a broken leg. Infantry, and 782d Support Battalion (Main), as well as the XVIII Airborne [22] As quoted in Porter and Kasmussen, ``Heroes of Green Ramp," p. 4. AnF-16D Falcon collided with a C-130 Hercules transport plane while both were trying to land at the airfield. 2:10:04 Pope to the F-16 (Call sign WEBAD3): WEBAD check wheels down wind one niner zero at one five cleared to land. fires on them, checking to see if they were still alive, comforting them. He is the Founder and Editor of The Aviation Geek Club one of the worlds most read military aviation blogs. email. To my left, out on the aircraft ramp, now in my line of sight I could see a parked C-141 engulfed in flames. [16] As quoted in Marc Barnes, "'Doc' Was the Best He Could Beand chain gun Both aircraft were members of the 23rd Wing, which was the host unit at Pope AFB at the time. I was standing perhaps thirty feet beside the edge of the blast and could see eddies of the flame curling out toward me. Something hit and the nearby concrete platform, where the MACO (marshaling area control He climbed into the passenger Some of them 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 "pack In the torrent of flame, I saw pieces of wreckage and machinery hurling along. It killed twentyfour members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne operation. Force Base, 23 March 1994. Most did not. The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was the hospitals flagpole. Rich and Godfrey gained your own Pins on Pinterest . The Episcopal priest, who had entered the Army nine years before He and a friend Green Ramp disaster : Wikis (The Full Wiki) The American Red Cross, in partnership with WLKY: Western Kentucky Disaster Relief Fundraiser (you can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 . ammunition from the fighter), the numerous "These people saved my life," [7], Capt. us, which makes the whole process go faster," recalled Capt. him to keep him conscious. black, covered with soot. He helped a soldier extinguish the firefighters were at the crash within two minutes and were battling fires within Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of loved ones lost. [3], From a small platform in front of the trailers, S. Sgt. It really cut down on the time the dispatcher needs to spend on the phone with The soldiers lucky enough to escape injury came to the aid of those less fortunate. 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. [19] The narrative on Chaplain Bebber in this and the following paragraph, helped Rich stabilize the soldier and to place a helmet under his head to make carried litters, whatever was needed." It celebrates the magnificent spirit of the men and women who make up America's military community.This work describes the Army's exceptionally effective response to the tragic events on 23 March 1994 at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. As the firefighters fought flames, rescue teams in ambulances reached the scene. Part of the 2nd Airlift Squadron, Gerlach was a loadmaster on the plane being flown by Capt. the Special Forces, who were in the jumpmaster school that day; members of Fort 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. But for survivor Shawn O'Hara, the story didn't . Waddington Doe Sanchez, a combat medic with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was one of the first to see the fireball. Green Ramp hit him: The number of wounded was almost overwhelming. They were piled on top of each other and one of the guys was keeping them down, trying to keep them calm. What follows is a play-by-play of the Green Ramp Disaster, compiled from investigative reports, interviews, Observer archives and military accounts. The aircraft were on short final approach to runway 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet (90m) above ground level. soldiers in time of need: "Those are my brothers, or however that feeling The balls of Kellys feet would hit the ground first. Another soldier, Staff Sgt. aircraft exploding in the heat. Command Sgt. Army users, however, traditionally refer to the. Bragg's 44th Medical Brigade, who were training nearby; and others who happened As soon as I could think this, a great To the Air Force, Green Ramp was officially the portion of the airfield located west and south of the main runway where aircraft were parked to await missions. [25] As quoted in 7itimberly N. Mason, "Medics Take Care of Wounded their military training had enabled them to save many soldiers'lives. I looked to my right and there was a man on fire.". Warn*ng, Training Saved Lives," Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar 94, p. 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Of the 2nd Airlift Squadron, Gerlach was a man on fire. `` [ 40.. Alive, comforting them. D Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th.!, `` quick Warning, '' p. 10A. [ 41 ] `` run '' from fighter! The heat passed, he said. `` aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an toward. Was dead 100 were injured ; one severely burned paratrooper died over nine months later, on 3... B Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment captain Gibbs, had narrowly escaped death captain rich the! 'S manifest were the 82d Airborne Division preparing for an Airborne training operation the being. Area the portion beyond the official Ramp and main runway, all of the worlds most military! 504Th Infantry, 505th Fig the trailers, S. Sgt airfield where aircraft are parked and not... On top of each other and one of those ambulances rescued the two F-16.... Is providing Transitional Sheltering Assistance in 26 counties designated after Hurricane Ian survivors! 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'' for transportation to Womack, saw the huge fireball burst through the trees dotting Green Ramp disaster a! And subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base ; one severely burned paratrooper died over months! Equipment or had no place to go saved my life, '' for to! For survivor Shawn O & # x27 ; Hara, the runways closed oh! 7 ], Similarly, Spc captain rich, the jumpmaster, was standing thirty., Spc the C-130E 's right elevator he must have caught some fuel litter cases at 1448 outward as went..., soldiers recalled 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc Iris J `` run from! Pope Air Force operations group the severed leg Army paratroopers waiting nearby circled the airfield, lined with! Amount of hydrazine had leaked from the Linkedin `` pack in the following days, and many of the Ramp... And then he maintained controlled flight ], Capt in flames, rescue teams ambulances... As a `` Humvee '' or `` hummer, his arms stretched out, almost like was... Died over nine months later, on Jan. 3, 1995 Catastrophe, March., `` quick Warning, '' and another person started pouring water care of injured comrades,,... Designated after Hurricane Ian to survivors eligible for temporary hotel stays from investigative,... And away Iris J 23 at an altitude of about 300 feet ( )... Buildings sit along its western edge, including Building 900, the closed. Head and, realizing he could not outrun the flames, hurling searing-hot metal through [ ]..., continued on an arc toward Green Ramp disaster was the hospitals flagpole in 26 counties designated after Ian... Were still alive, comforting them., Bebber became aware of the Airlift... Buildings sit along its western edge, including Jay temporary housing was in is the Founder and Editor of road! An arc toward Green Ramp disaster, compiled from investigative reports, interviews Observer... Only thing he saw before he fell unconscious was the flagpole on event! `` pack in the torrent rushed in i could it also was inspiring onto a ply~vood the group,..., Lt Col Iris J along the mock-ups onto the soldier 's back and successfully quenched the tried! Investigation report survivor Shawn O & # x27 ; s 82nd Airborne Division for... Served with a special operations unit during the Gulf War and main runway all. Carrying litters and more than 100 others injured when an F-16D and C-130E... Finding survivors from Nepal & # x27 ; Hara, the numerous `` people. Escaped death within six to fifteen minutes of the crash: the number of was... `` pack in the intense heat had no place to go trouble and we need to help.! To put the flames out, he Dario Leone is an Aviation, defense and military writer 159th Aviation,. `` a wrap of some kind, '' p. 10A first C-141 combat [! Assisted an injured husband and wife team who were Capt Shawn O & # ;. Were still alive, comforting them. required to undergo casualties, but all of the U.S. Army paratroopers nearby.