Google Earth Community: Green Ramp Disaster

The Green Ramp Disaster was a mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision that occurred on March 23, 1994 during preparations for an Airborne Operation at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 24 lives lost were the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the 82nd Airborne Division since World War II.

Crash
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The Pope AFB runway runs roughly east-west. On the west end of the runway, a large north-south parking ramp, called Green Ramp, is used by the Army and Air Force to stage joint operations. Several buildings sit along the west edge of Green Ramp. These include Building 900, which houses the Air Force operations group. Next to Building 900 was a Pax Shed, a large open bay building which the Army used to prepare their troops for parachute drops. Between Building 900 and the Pax Shed was a large grassy area with tree shade where jumpers could relax before drops. Snack trucks typically sat in that area selling food to the jumpers. Behind the area were several concrete mock-ups of the backs of Air Force cargo aircraft where the Army jumpers could run though their jump procedures.

On the day of the accident, approximately 500 paratroopers from Fort Bragg were in the Pax shed, the concrete mock-ups or resting in the grassy area. While the jumpers prepared to board several C-130s and C-141 aircraft parked on Green Ramp, the sky was filled with Air Force F-16, A-10 and C-130 aircraft doing Air Force training.

Mid-air collision
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Shortly after 1400 hours an F-16D, (88-0171), doing a simulated engine out approach, collided with a USAF Lockheed C-130E Hercules (68-10942). Both aircraft were on short final to the runway at an altitude of approximately 300 feet. The nose of the F-16 severed the C-130's right elevator. Upon impact, the F-16 pilots applied full afterburner to try to recover the aircraft. As their aircraft began to disintegrate, however, showering the runway and a road which ran around the runway with debris, both F-16 pilots ejected, but their aircraft, still on full afterburner, continued on an arc towards Green Ramp. At the same time, the C-130 crew took their aircraft away from the airfield, and checked to ensure it was capable of landing. While the crew knew they were most likely struck by the F-16, they had no idea how it happened or the extent of the damage. After performing their checks, the crew returned to Pope and landed on the debris littered runway.

Ground collision
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By the time the C-130 landed, the F-16 had impacted Green Ramp heading west. The aircraft struck the ground in an empty parking place between two Air Force C-130s with crews on board preparing the aircraft for departure. When the F-16 hit the ground, its momentum carried the wreckage westward through the right wing of a C-141 (66-0173) parked on the ramp. The C-141 crew was also preparing the aircraft for joint Army-Air Force operations, however, no Army troops had yet boarded the plane. The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks in the C-141's right wing, causing a massive fireball. The combined fireball and F-16 wreckage then 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. 23 men died and over 80 were injured; one severely burned paratrooper died later on 3 January 1995.

Paratroopers from the US Army Jumpmaster school who were right at the scene of the accident rushed to pull troopers from the flames and exploding 20 mm F-16 ammunition. Military and civilian vehicles were commandeered to ferry the injured to Womack hospital. That day, the paratroopers pulled together and made order out of chaos and saved many of their comrades. They did so on their own, without orders, and more effectively than could be expected. They are to be credited for saving the lives of many of the injured.

Aftermath
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Several of the more severely burned victims were taken to the U. S. Army Institute of Surgical Research at Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas. Two months after the accident only one paratrooper remained critical, while the others were either in satisfactory condition or convalescing at home.

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. A later investigation, however, stated that pilot error by the F-16 pilots also contributed to the mishap. The ramifications of the Air Force decision, since abandoned, of operating dissimilar aircraft (in this case C-130s and F-16s) at the same air base weren't examined by the two accident investigation boards

More information on the following links
www.history.army.mil
www.af.mil
www.c141heaven.com ncleg.net

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