Pilot Error Blamed in Air Show Disaster
A pilot performing a solo maneuver with the Italian national aerobatic team caused the Ramstein air show disaster that killed 69 people, according to a report by a three-nation commission released Monday.
The commissioners--from West Germany, Italy and the United States--cleared organizers at the U.S. air base in West Germany of negligence over security arrangements at the Aug. 28 show.
“The collision of the soloist with two other aircraft from the Tricolor Arrows (display team) was caused by human error on the part of the soloist,” a statement based on the commission findings said.
The pilot made several last-minute attempts to avert the collision, the statement added. The soloist’s plane then plummeted in flames into spectators. All three pilots died and more than 350 people were injured.
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