Frecce Tricolori Ramstein Crash

On 28 Aug 1988 in Ramstein airbase on West Germany territory, happens the worst accident in aerobatic teams history. During "Broken Heart" maneuver, the formation of ten airplanes separate to three formations in the top of the loop: one in five planes, one in four planes and the solo pilot. The first two formations separate in opposite directions, while the solo pilot separate in 90 degrees direction from the other two formations. From these directions they continue looping until they cross at the bottom of the loop. The wrong execution of this maneuver from solo pilot side, Lt. Col. Ivo Naturelli, causes the collision with the first formation. Solo pilot plane #10 collide with upper surface of the #2 fuselage, then crash on rear section of the #1 fuselage. #1 start to spin and crash onto #2. Then #1 and #2 crash on taxi way. Solo plane hit the ground in front of the public, then crash on ice-cream van killing immediately 31 people. Later other 44 peoples dies from its injures. The approximately 500 persons where injured, and three of the team pilots died. One of the other two planes involved in the crash, hit the taxi way, but other hit the standing UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, killing its pilot who was in the cockpit. Other seven airplanes land on the nearest airbase Sembach.

Frecce Tricolori

2008 schedule