• Source: 1988 Remscheid A-10 crash

The 1988 Remscheid A-10 crash occurred on December 8, 1988, when an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jet of the United States Air Forces in Europe crashed into a residential area in the city of Remscheid, West Germany. The aircraft crashed into the upper floor of an apartment complex. In addition to the pilot, six people were killed. Fifty others were injured, many of them seriously.
The plane was engaged in a low-altitude flight exercise. It belonged to a unit from Bentwaters Air Base but at the time of the accident was stationed at Nörvenich Air Base, a so-called Forward Operation Location (FOL).
The flight leader, Captain Marke F. Gibson, was leading his flight followed by his wingman, Captain Michael P. Foster. The cause of the accident was attributed to spatial disorientation, after both planes encountered difficult and adverse weather conditions for visual flying. Captain Gibson was able to maneuver his aircraft to safety, but Captain Foster's aircraft crashed into the houses on Stockder Strasse.




Aftermath


When the number of cancer cases in the vicinity of the accident rose disproportionately in the years after, suspicion rose that the jet, contrary to US statements, may have been loaded with ammunition containing depleted uranium. This was denied by the US military. Despite this, 70 tons of top soil from the accident scene were removed and taken away to a depot (which also happens to be standard procedure for cleanup when a large amount of jet fuel is spilled on populated ground, such as in a plane crash). Also, film material taken during the top-soil removal showed radiation warning signs. 120 residents and rescue workers reported skin diseases, diagnosed as (toxic) contact dermatitis.
Damages accounted to approximately DM 13 million and were covered 75% by the U.S. Air Force and 25% by the West German government.




See also



1955 Altensteig mid-air collision
1959 Okinawa F-100 crash
1960 Munich C-131 crash
1964 Machida F-8 crash
1977 Yokohama F-4 crash
Cavalese cable car disaster (1998)




References






Further reading


Schmemann, Serge (December 9, 1988). "U.S. Plane Crashes into German City". The New York Times.

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• 1988 Remscheid A-10 crash
• 1998 Cavalese cable car crash
• Remscheid
• 1983 Rhein-Main Starfighter crash
• December 1988
• 1960 Munich C-131 crash
• 1977 Yokohama F-4 crash
• 1959 Okinawa F-100 crash
• 1955 Altensteig mid-air collision
• Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II