1988 Remscheid A-10 crash
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 8, 1988 |
| Type | Crash during low-altitude flight |
| Site | Remscheid, West Germany 51°11′11″N 7°09′38″E / 51.18639°N 7.16056°ECoordinates: 51°11′11″N 7°09′38″E / 51.18639°N 7.16056°E |
| Passengers | 0 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Injuries | 50 (all on the ground) |
| Fatalities | 6, including 5 on the ground |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | A-10 Thunderbolt II |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Flight origin | Nörvenich Air Base |
The 1987 Remscheid A-10 crash occurred on December 8, 1988, when a United States Air Force attack jet, an A-10 Thunderbolt II crashed onto a residential area in the city of Remscheid, Germany. The aircraft crashed into the upper floor of an apartment complex. In addition to the pilot, five people were killed. Fifty others were injured, including many seriously.
According to press reports[1] 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.[2]
[edit] Aftermath
The crash, which occurred less than four months after the Ramstein airshow disaster increased tensions surrounding American training flights over West Germany.[3]
When the number of cancer cases in the vicinity of the accident rose disproportionately in the years after,[4] suspicion rose[5] that the jet, contrary to US statements, may have been loaded with ammunition containing depleted uranium. Another unconfirmed suspicion[who?] was that the flight control surfaces had trim weights containing depleted uranium , which could have contaminated the soil around the site of the crash.
In 2002, however, a test of soil samples from 250 meters around the crash site revealed no traces of depleted uranium.[6]
Another possible explanation for the increased cancer rate in the surroundings, which gained credibility because no uranium was found, is that the aircraft carried JP-8 fuel. This jet propellant is considered highly toxic and may have spread around the place of the crash.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ "West Germany / United States Plane Crash NBC News broadcast from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive". Archived from the original on 2009-05-27. http://www.webcitation.org/5h5sShoVZ. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
- ^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 12 Dec 1988
- ^ U.S. Plane Crashes Into German City
- ^ Remscheid | DasErste.de
- ^ Journal of Environmental Health Aug 2005
- ^ http://www.munlv.nrw.de/extern/archiv/munlv/pressemitteilungen/ue020410.htm
- ^ JP-8 Militär-Treibstoff
[edit] External links
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Aviation accidents and incidents in 1988 
