Toll of U.S. Air Shows: 100 Lives and $1 Billion : Safety Record Compiled by The Times Covers Demonstrations and Publicity Events Since 1955

The U.S. armed forces have lost more than 100 lives and more than $1 billion in sophisticated aircraft at air shows, flight demonstrations and various publicity events since 1955, an investigation by The Times has disclosed.

A list of 115 accidents involving Army, Navy and Air Force aircraft participating in shows and demonstration events was compiled on the basis of more than a dozen inquiries over the past year under the federal Freedom of Information Act. The cost estimate of planes lost is based on the actual cost of each lost aircraft, adjusted for inflation to 1988 dollars.

The Times’ compilation of such accidents is believed to be the most extensive ever. The armed services have undertaken no comprehensive study to determine the number of such accidents.

Nonetheless, the reports submitted to The Times under the Freedom of Information Act are believed to be incomplete because of deficiencies in record keeping. The Air Force said it has no way of electronically sorting its records for air show accidents; the Army could only sort its records back to 1972; and the Navy report appeared to be missing some accidents that have been reported elsewhere. The actual number of such accidents is likely to far exceed 115.

Horrifying Accident

The safety record of air shows has become a public issue in light of the horrifying accident Aug. 28 at a U.S. air base in Ramstein, West Germany, where German officials said 51 people were killed when three planes collided during a show by an Italian flying team. Hundreds were injured when one of the planes careened into the audience.

In the wake of that accident, U.S. officials have defended the value of air shows and offered reassuring statements that regulations at American air shows are tighter and would preclude the type of accident that occurred in Germany. U.S. officials also have generally pointed to the experience of official flight demonstration teams, such as the Air Force’s Thunderbirds and the Navy’s Blue Angels, which have lost a total of 41 lives since they were formed more than three decades ago.

However, well-documented accidents involving those two aerobatic teams do not encompass the full safety record at U.S. air shows, demonstrations and publicity events. The military services and various private groups put on an estimated 300 air shows a year. Accidents are frequently forgotten years later.

In April, 1980, for example, seven servicemen were killed at an air show in American Samoa when a Navy P-3c patrol aircraft struck a cable spanning a harbor. The airplane, carrying Army parachutists, crashed into a building.

Sometimes, air show accidents result from highly unusual stunts. In January, 1972, an Army helicopter team crashed an OH-58 during a show when it attempted to land the helicopter on a furniture dolly, and it slipped off, according to Army records at Ft. Rucker, Ala. Nobody was injured.

Mojave Desert Crash

The most costly aircraft publicity event was the June, 1966, Mojave Desert crash of the XB-70 bomber, which was caused by a midair collision during a photographic session for General Electric.

Critics charge the shows are unnecessarily hazardous and foster a “carnival” atmosphere. But military officials emphasize that air shows are popular with the public and help recruitment. In addition, the safety records of at least the official air show teams have improved in recent years, they say.

Few machines have so captivated the American public as aircraft, especially high-performance military jets capable of climbing vertically, rolling wing tip over wing tip and soaring upside down.

The Air Force estimates that 190 million people have watched the Thunderbirds perform since the six-man group was formed in 1953. A like number have watched the Navy’s Blue Angels.

“The shows enhance esprit and enhance recruitment,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Ashy, commander of the parent organization for the Thunderbirds. “It is very important to the American public.”

To some who have been directly affected, however, the intangible benefits scarcely seem worth the human price.

Wife Watches Accident

Christi Chapman watched from the balcony of her apartment in Spokane, Wash., as her husband’s KC-135 tanker burned on the ground last year after an accident during a practice flight for an air show.

The fatal accident occurred when the Air Force decided to use a 26-year-old tanker jet to perform 45-degree banked turns at low altitude--maneuvers that went beyond the plane’s normal operations.

“Why was this even being done?” Chapman asked recently. “I think it was stupid.”

C. O. Miller, the former chief accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board and a leading authority on air safety, said the record, at least what is known about it, is not a good one. “Things could be done a lot better,” Miller said. “I think the margins are cut thin.”

Tony LeVier, expert on air safety and former chief test pilot at Lockheed, agreed that the overall record at air shows is poor.

“The record is pretty bad when you come right down to it,” said LeVier. “You have got to admit it is beautiful flying, but there is a limit to what an airplane can do.”

At an air show on July 4, 1981, visitors were allowed to climb into the cockpit of an S-3 Viking patrol aircraft on ground display at the Naval Air Station-Willow Grove, Pa. The Navy had failed to disarm the ejection seat in the jet and a 7-year-old boy, John Pigford Jr., activated the rocket-controlled seat, ejecting himself through the aircraft canopy. He died two days later of a skull fracture and internal injuries. His brother, who was in the cockpit at the same time, survived with facial burns. Twenty-one others were injured in the incident.

Until now, one problem with assessing air show risks has been that the record had never been fully documented.

“The question is why hasn’t it been compiled yet,” said Rep. Edward F. Feighan (D-Ohio). “And why haven’t policy-makers been calling for this information?”

Feighan took a leading role in Congress on the air show issue last year when he called for a General Accounting Office investigation into the KC-135 crash. The GAO report faulted the Air Force’s Strategic Air Command for “less thorough” planning and oversight than on other demonstrations.

Indeed, SAC, which conceived of the show as a rival to the Tactical Air Command’s better-known flight shows, reportedly never contacted the aircraft’s manufacturer to consult with engineers on whether the old airframe of the KC-135 could withstand the stresses of low altitude maneuvers.

Some air show proponents argue that the vast majority of military air shows are done professionally and that any type of flying always entails risks.

“To live is to die,” said Frank Sanders, an aerobatic pilot from Chino. “The safest thing is to do nothing. Then you atrophy and die anyway. If a guy can’t manage an air show demonstration, he probably isn’t going to survive combat.”

On July 1, 1987, five Air Force and Army servicemen were killed at Ft. Bragg, N.C., when a C-130 cargo aircraft was attempting to demonstrate a low-altitude cargo drop. The aircraft was supposed to stay only 5 to 10 feet above the ground, but lost its thin margin and hit the ground. The C-130 broke up and exploded when it ran into three Army vehicles at the end of the runway. A soldier sitting in one jeep was killed, along with the pilot, navigator and two loadmasters aboard the aircraft. Two others were seriously injured.

Senior military officers insist they evaluate risks carefully and attempt to maximize safety.

“It is always hard to say the losses are acceptable, because they aren’t acceptable,” said Denis T. Schwaab, a retired rear admiral who until several months ago commanded the Naval Safety Center at Norfolk, Va. “You try to be perfect, but living is dangerous. Driving is dangerous.”

Essentially, air shows demonstrate aerobatic maneuvers at low altitudes where the general public can best see the airplanes. The Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels operate at minimums of 150 feet above ground.

Still, in the view of safety experts, many maneuvers at such low altitudes leave little or no margin for error.

“You could sneeze and go through the formation,” said Miller, the former safety board investigator. “People don’t realize the limitations of man and machine.”

LeVier, the former Lockheed test pilot, recalled that on June 4, 1972, he watched a demonstration of the Thunderbirds at Dulles International Airport in Washington in which one of the wing pilots in the formation was pulling a severe turn. LeVier thought the aircraft was near stalling.

Later that evening, he attended a congressional reception for the Thunderbirds, and he approached the wing pilot, Maj. Joseph Howard.

“I got this guy aside and told him, ‘If you keep doing this, you are going to lose that airplane,’ ” LeVier said.

On June 5, 1972, Howard died in a Thunderbird crash at Dulles, while performing a “Whifferdill,” which is a pull - up and 180-degree turn. The aircraft pitched up and went out of control. The slot man in the formation called out to the leader, “Three’s gone, boss.” Howard successfully ejected himself and appeared in good shape, until his parachute passed over the burning aircraft on the ground. The fireball rose up and melted the canopy. Howard fell 200 feet to his death.

Criticism that air shows are inherently dangerous because airplanes operate at low altitudes is generally rebutted by military aviators.

Lt. Col. Steve Trent, lead pilot of the Thunderbirds, said in an interview last week that some military training flights operate at lower altitudes than the Thunderbirds.

Must Be Disciplined

“You have to be disciplined enough to not continue a maneuver if the conditions aren’t right. We have abort and escape procedures specifically designed for each maneuver,” Trent said.

“The most dangerous part of my job on an air show day is the drive to and from the airport.”

Schwaab, the former commander of the Naval Safety Center, added: “The fighter community is taught to use the machine to the limits of its capability. In a flight demonstration, we don’t push that hard. In the air show, you back off a notch.”

Officials point proudly to the fact that no civilian has been killed at a Thunderbirds or Blue Angels air show. But that is not to say that civilians haven’t lost their lives.

On June 11, 1973, four people were killed and five injured when a U.S. Army helicopter formation was performing in Germany. An AH-1 Cobra helicopter went out of control during a demonstration and dove into a group of spectators. The tail rotor struck the ground , and the aircraft skidded across a runway, striking a spectator and a car.

Senior officials discourage interservice rivalry and the “carnival” atmosphere at air shows, but both are recognized problems among show teams.

Maj. Gen. Robert B. Patterson, commander of the Twenty-Third Air Force, issued a memo on air shows earlier this year that warned of such excesses after a recent show mishap. The extraordinary memo was obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request.

“The ‘Show Environment’: It would be easy to blame others for the unhealthy pressure of a carnival atmosphere, but the fact is we’re all subject to the intoxication of pride in our aircraft, our unit and our ability,” Patterson wrote. “But you must not let this pride generate a difference between show operations and your normal operations. We train as we fly.”

Should Not Compete

Patterson also warned his officers that they should not attempt to compete with the Thunderbirds.

“I realize it takes guts to face some hard-charging senior officer and say, ‘I’m not comfortable with that,’ or, ‘We can’t do that,’ but I expect each and every supervisor from the cockpit to this headquarters to do just that if the situation calls for it.”

On March 18, 1960, a Navy pilot was killed during a live fire demonstration when his aircraft canopy was hit by an Aero 6A rocket fired by another aircraft in the formation behind him as part of the demonstration. His A-4B attack jet was destroyed when it crashed into the ocean.

Information provided by the three services was incomplete, largely because of haphazard record-keeping. One Air Force agency, in researching The Times’ inquiries, discovered that it had lost all its accident reports for a period of several years.

In declining to search actual mishaps reports for air show incidents, Air Force Safety and Inspection Center officials estimated in writing that it would take seven years to conduct the search.

Navy records show that 54 people died in demonstration events since 1955. Forty-six aircraft were lost. Two additional accidents were identified by the Times.

The Army reported 14 fatalities and 35 helicopters damaged or destroyed since 1972.

The Air Force provided a list of 22 mishaps, most involving the Thunderbirds. The Times was able to identify two additional accidents. Based upon that limited information, the Air Force lost 27 aircraft. There were 35 fatalities.

At least some of the reports provided by the Navy and the Army do not appear to be shows, but may have been official demonstrations for industry or government officials. The reports do not make clear distinctions, but were included in the service’s own definition of air shows and demonstration flights.

In addition, the National Transportation Safety Board said there have been 25 accidents in civilian air shows since 1983 that resulted in 11 fatalities.

Accidents not included in The Times study were the losses of two Northrop F-20 jet fighters in a practice for the Paris Air Show and in a sales demonstration flight in South Korea. Also, an Airbus A-320 jetliner crashed in Paris on June 26 during an air show, killing three people.

The $1-billion estimate of planes lost is based on conservative price estimates obtained from defense contractors or from a database operated by the authoritative Janes Publishing Co. Ltd. When aircraft costs could not be obtained, these losses were not included.

On July 13, 1985, two members of the Blue Angels flight team collided before 22,000 spectators at a show in Niagara Falls, N.Y. One member successfully ejected from his A-4F aircraft, but a second Blue Angel perished with his plane. Only three years earlier, four Thunderbirds died in a single incident when the leader failed to pull out of a loop and the other three followed him.

Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci, asked by members of Congress to consider new restrictions on air shows, said last week: “I think you have to accept the fact that a significant element of the effectiveness of any military force is morale. You can make the same argument with bands, I guess. Or why do they spend all this time marching, because they don’t engage in battle while they’re marching. Marching is not useful training for battle.”

But such arguments may not stop congressional critics. Rep. Bill Nichols (D-Ala.) earlier this year used his position on the House Armed Services Committee to force Gen. John Chain, commander of the Strategic Air Command, to abandon his efforts to create an air demonstration team. Chain had come under criticism after the KC-135 accident in Spokane.

Despite that agreement, grieving members of the crew’s family remain bitter over the accident.

“It was a foolish undertaking from the outset,” said John Myers, father of crewman Mark Myers and a former Air Force navigator. “It was extremely careless.”