Cavalese cable car disaster (1998)
Trentino (Cavalese is located
about 40 km NE of the city of Trento). |
|
| Time | 14:13 local time |
|---|---|
| Date | February 3, 1998 |
| Location | near Cavalese, Italy |
| 20 dead (1 cable car operator, 19 passengers) | |
The Cavalese cable car disaster of 1998, also called the Strage del Cermis ("Massacre at Cermis") occurred on 3 February 1998, near the Italian town of Cavalese, a ski resort in the Dolomites some 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Trento. Twenty people died when a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft, while flying below cables for the sole purpose of amusement, cut a cable supporting a gondola of an aerial tramway, causing it to plunge 80 m (260 ft) to the ground. Joseph Schweitzer, one of the American aircrew, confessed in 2012 that upon return to the American base, he burned the tape that contained incriminating evidence. The pilot, Captain Richard J. Ashby, and his navigator, Captain Joseph Schweitzer, were put on trial in the United States and were found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. Later they were found guilty of obstruction of justice and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman for having destroyed a videotape recorded from the plane and were dismissed from the Marine Corps. The disaster, and the subsequent acquittal of the pilots, strained relations between the United States and Italy.
On 3 February 1998, an EA-6B Prowler, BuNo (bureau number) 163045, 'CY-02', callsign Easy 01, an electronic warfare aircraft belonging to Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) of the United States Marine Corps, was on a low altitude training mission. Pilot decided to dive below cables for amusement. Such illegal stunt was routine. At 14:13 local time it struck the cables supporting the aerial tramway-style cable car from Cavalese. The aircraft was flying at a speed of 540 miles per hour (870 km/h) and at an altitude of between 260 and 330 feet (80 and 100 m) in narrow valley between the mountains. When reaching approximately 46°17′01″N 11°28′02″E / 46.283733°N 11.467237°ECoordinates: 46°17′01″N 11°28′02″E / 46.283733°N 11.467237°E, the aircraft's right wing struck the cables from underneath. The cable was severed causing the cabin from Cermis with 20 passengers on board to plunge over 80 metres (260 ft) killing them all. The plane had wing and tail damage but was able to return to its base, Aviano Air Base.
...
Wikipedia