1988 Remscheid A-10 crash site
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| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 8, 1988 |
| Summary | Crash during low-altitude flight |
| Site | Remscheid, West Germany 51°11′11″N 7°09′38″E / 51.18639°N 7.16056°E / 51.18639; 7.16056 |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | A-10 Thunderbolt II |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Flight origin | Nörvenich Air Base |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Fatalities | 7, including 6 on the ground |
| Injuries | 50 (all on the ground) |
| Survivors | 0 |
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.[1] 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).[2]
The flight leader, Captain Marke F. Gibson,[3] 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.[4]
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.[5][6] This was denied by the US military. However, 70 tons of top soil from the accident scene was 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).[7] Also, film material taken during the top-soil removal show radiation warning signs.[8] 120 residents and rescue workers reported skin diseases, diagnosed as (toxic) contact dermatitis.[9]
Damages accounted to approximately DM 13 million and were covered 75% by the U.S. Air Force and 25% by the West German government.
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Aviation accidents and incidents in 1988 (1988)
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|---|---|
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Jan 18 Jan 18 China Southwest Airlines Flight 4146 Jan 19 Trans-Colorado Airlines Flight 2286 Feb 3 Feb 8 Nürnberger Flugdienst Flight 108 Feb 19 Feb 27 Talia Airways Boeing 727 crash Mar 1 Mar 4 Mar 8 Mar 17 Apr 5 Apr 28 May 6 May 24 Jun 12 Austral Líneas Aéreas Flight 046 Jun 23 1988 British Army Lynx shootdown Jun 26 Jul 3 Jul 13 Aug 17 Aug 28 Aug 31 Aug 31 Sep 9 Sep 15 Oct 17 Oct 19 Nov 2 LOT Polish Airlines Flight 703 Dec 8 Dec 11 Dec 21 | |
