1997 Namibia mid-air collision

Collision between USAF C-141B and German Air Force Tu-154M December 2025 September 2023 Accident 1997 09 13 y Mid-air collision due to pilot error on the TU-154M aircraft and Air Traffic Control fault, loss of separation 65 nmi km on west of Namibia 33 18 30 S 11 03 E inline,title 9 0 9 9 0 Lockheed C-141B Starlifter File:U.S. Air Force Lockheed C141B Starlifter '65-9405' at Frankfurt Airport.jpg 65-9405, the C-141B involved in the accident, seen in 1995 United States Air Force 65-9405 Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH/FYWE), Windhoek, Namibia Georgetown-Wideawake Field, Ascension Island REACH 4201 24 14 10 24 0 Tupolev Tu-154M File:Luftwaffe 11+02 11+02 - Tupolev TU-154M - Luftwaffe (with "Offener Himmel" - sticker).jpg 11+02, the Tu-154M involved in the accident German Air Force 11+02 Niamey Airport (NIM/DRRN), Niger Cape Town International Airport, South Africa GAF 074 On 13 September 1997, a German Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M observation aircraft and a United States Air Force Lockheed C-141B Starlifter transport aircraft struck each other mid-air while cruising at 35000 ft off the coast of Namibia. As a result of the crash, all 33 people on board both aircraft were killed and both aircraft were destroyed. At the time of the collision, the Tupolev was flying on a southbound route from Niamey, Niger, to Cape Town, South Africa, while the C-141 was heading northbound from Windhoek, Namibia, to Ascension Island.1997-09-15 U.S., German Planes Apparently Collide Off Africa Chicago Tribune https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/09/15/us-german-planes-apparently-collide-off-africa/ 2018-01-24 Neither aircraft was equipped with a TCAS system, and although both crews had filed a flight plan, the German aircraft was not in contact with Namibian air traffic control at the time of the collision and controllers were unaware of its presence in Namibian airspace. Furthermore, the Tupolev was flying at the wrong altitude, according to its flight plan and to the semicircular rule. The subsequent US Air Force inquiry concluded that the German crew was responsible for the accident, citing pilot error and inadequate air traffic control that contributed to the fatal lack of separation.McIntyre Jamie Jamie McIntyre 1997-12-12 Pilot error may have caused Namibia crash CNN http://www.cnn.com/US/9712/12/us.c-141/index.html 2018-01-24 A year before the accident, the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations had stated that from a safety point of view, 75 percent of African airspace was "critically deficient."Dellios Hugh Safety Flying Standby In Africa Chicago Tribune 1997-11-30 https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/11/30/safety-flying-standby-in-africa/ 2018-05-20 Aircraft and crew The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter that was involved in the accident was a four-engine, strategic airlifter in service with the US Air Force.December 2025 The example involved in the accident, a C-141B variant, tail number 65-9405, was assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing based at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.December 2025 At the time it was conducting a humanitarian flight to Namibia, delivering a mine-clearing team for the United Nations.December 2025 The aircraft, using the callsign REACH 4201, was under the command of Captain Peter Vallejo, 34, with Captain Jason Ramsey, 27, and Captain Gregory M. Cindrich, 31, acting as pilots. Six other personnel were on board as well, including a crew chief, two flight engineers, and two loadmasters.Cohen Tom 1997-09-16 Search finds airplane seats, papers but no survivors The Standard-Times Associated Press http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19970916/News/309169974 deviated 2018-01-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20180905142530/http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19970916/News/309169974 2018-09-05Congressional Record https://books.google.com/books?id=RvxOxOio4eUC&pg=PA7288 June 2011 Government Printing Office 7288– 978-0-16-011844-9 GGKEY:DTQT57BKN6P The Tupolev Tu-154M involved, tail number Tupolev Tu-154M Open Skies 11+02 de Tupolew Tu-154M Open Skies, was one of two in the Luftwaffe inventory, both inherited from the East German Air Force. Assigned to 1 Staffel/Flugbereitschaft, it had previously been used for verification purposes under the Open Skies Treaty. As such it was equipped with cameras and sensors in the fuselage.Brochure "Open Skies, German Observation System" of the Federal Armed Forces Verification Center, 52503 Geilenkirchen The aircraft was crewed by a complement of 10 and was flying 14 passengers, which included 12 German marines and two of their spouses from Cologne, Germany, to Cape Town, South Africa, for a regatta celebrating the 75th anniversary of the South African Navy. The pilots, both experienced, were Ralph Reinhold and Klaus Ehrlichmann.Jaeger Lars 21 September 1997 Kein Geld für Sicherheit No Money for Safety https://www.spiegel.de/politik/kein-geld-fuer-sicherheit-a-ce8fdbde-0002-0001-0000-000008781263?context=issue Der Spiegel de 2018-01-25 Flying under the callsign GAF 074, the aircraft had made a stopover in Niamey and was due to land in Windhoek for another refueling stop before continuing on to Cape Town.1997-09-16 Skeleton Coast crash 'one in a million' The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/skeleton-coast-crash-one-in-a-million-1239448.html live 2018-01-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20180130211338/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/skeleton-coast-crash-one-in-a-million-1239448.html 2018-01-30 Flight and collision Flight paths Namibia Map of Namibia showing the estimated location of the collision 18 30 S 11 03 E Collision Cross.svg 1 22 34 S 17 5 E Windhoek The Luftwaffe Tu-154M departed Cologne, Germany, on 13 September 1997 and landed in Niamey, Niger, to refuel.December 2025 While in Niger, the crew filed a flight plan requesting a cruise altitude of 35,000 feet with an en route climb to 39,000 feet.December 2025 At 10:35 UTC, GAF 074 departed Niamey and began flying on a southerly track.December 2025 While flying through Gabonese airspace, GAF 074 received a slight reroute.December 2025 The aircraft changed altitude as it passed western Africa and turned in an easterly direction, in compliance with airway requirements.December 2025 At 14:11 UTC, the United States Air Force C-141B departed from Windhoek, Namibia, for Ascension Island, a British territory in the South Atlantic. Per REACH 4201's filed flight plan it was flying on a northwesterly track at a cruise altitude of 35,000 feet. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the aircraft's departure.Accident C-141 65-9405 & Luftwaffe 74 Code7700 2017-10-18 http://code7700.com/accident_c-141_65-9405_&_luftwaffe_74.htm 2018-01-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20190823061603/http://www.code7700.com/accident_c-141_65-9405_%26_luftwaffe_74.htm 2019-08-23 dead Air traffic control In 1996, the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFAPA) labeled 75% of African airspace as "critically deficient." due to safety concerns and poor air traffic control service. The situation was so severe that in the same year, South African airline pilots reported more than 70 near-misses while flying in the African continent. The C-141B was under the control of Namibian air traffic control upon taking off from Windhoek. Namibian controllers had not received a flight plan or a departure signal from the Tu-154M and were not aware that the German aircraft had entered its flight information region. The last agency to have contact with the German aircraft was Accra air traffic control. Air traffic control authorities in Luanda, Angola, had not contacted Namibian controllers to inform them of the aircraft's presence as required under ICAO regulations. The Tu-154M had changed altitude during its flight without the controllers' knowledge. Contributing to the communications breakdowns, the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network, a system that facilitates the exchange of messages between air controllers was not working at the time. The air traffic control center in Windhoek received the last communication from the C-141B crew via high-frequency radio, who stated they were level at 35,000 feet.Learmount David 1997-09-24 Military-transport losses raise African mid-air collision fears https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/military-transport-losses-raise-african-mid-air-collision-22796/ Flight International 2018-01-24 Collision At 15:10 hours UTC, 65 nmi km off off the coast of Namibia, the two aircraft collided. The Tu-154M struck the C-141B in the lower fuselage, causing an explosion that was observed as a bright flash by a US surveillance satellite overflying the area.Cohen Tom 1997-09-17 Searchers find debris from U.S. cargo plane A5 Casper Star-Tribune Associated Press https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-searchers-find-debri/131612117/ 2023-09-11 Cockpit voice recordings show that at least one crew member in the Tu-154M noticed the C-141B and had attempted to maneuver away, unsuccessfully. A transcript from the CVR shows that the American crew were not killed on impact. One of the pilots can be heard saying, "oxygen mask, get them on, get them on. Get the flashlights quick." In addition, a nearby French Air Force aircraft reported that it picked up one "mayday" distress call.C-141 Lifetime Mishap Summary C141Heaven Home Page 1963-12-17 http://www.c141heaven.info/dotcom/mishap_paul_hansen.htm 2018-01-25 Both aircraft crashed into the sea, ultimately killing all 33 passengers and crew aboard both airplanes.December 2025 Search and recovery ATC authorities in Ascension Island attempted fifty times to contact aviation authorities in Namibia when the C-141B did not arrive as scheduled. At 10:55 UTC the following day, Ascension ATC contacted Air Mobility Command and notified them of the overdue aircraft. At 11:00 UTC, the aircraft was declared missing. An international search effort by the United States, France, Great Britain, Germany, and several African countries ensued, scouring the seas off Namibia for any signs of wreckage. A French aircraft flying over the apparent crash site picked up a faint signal from one of the aircraft's emergency beacons.All there is to know, and lots more, about the Lockheed C141 Starlifter! C141Heaven 1998-04-02 http://www.c141heaven.info/dotcom/65/pic_65_9405.php 2018-01-25 https://web.archive.org/web/20170701160635/http://c141heaven.info/dotcom/65/pic_65_9405.php 2017-07-01 dead The South African Air Force stated it had received a signal from a life jacket emergency beacon, raising the hope of finding survivors. A mid-air collision was presumed to be the most likely scenario since both aircraft had gone missing at the same time in virtually the same location.1997-09-15 U.S., German Planes Missing Off Africa; Collision Feared Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-15-mn-32611-story.html 2018-01-25 The first pieces of wreckage were found by a search ship on 16 September.1997-09-16 First wreckage of U.S. plane identified off Namibia CNN http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9709/16/wreckage/ 2018-01-25 Six days after the crash, authorities announced they had found the body of 43 year old German flight attendant Saskia Neumeyer, the first body to be recovered.1997-09-19 Body Found in Search for Downed U.S., German Planes Los Angeles Times https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-19-mn-33981-story.html 2018-01-25 By December 1997, very few remnants of the crash had been discovered. The body of Saskia Neumeyer had been the only one of the 33 missing passengers and crew to be recovered and very little of the wreckage had been found. A fishing trawler discovered several pieces of clothing on 13 December from a depth of 655 meters.2000-12-13 Wreckage found off Namibian coast https://www.news24.com/news24/xArchive/Archive/Wreckage-found-off-Namibian-coast-20001213 2018-01-25 News24 The remains of Captain Peter Vallejo and Captain Jason Ramsey were located by divers later in December 1997 along with unidentifiable skeletal remains of other crew members.December 2025 They were buried on 2 April 1998 in Arlington National Cemetery.December 2025 Investigation and aftermath thumb|150px|Memorial plaque to the passengers of the Luftwaffe Tu-154M In 1997, the United States Air Force appointed Colonel William H. C. Schell Jr. to lead the investigation into the collision.December 2025 A final report with the board's conclusions was released in March 1998.December 2025 The investigation blamed primarily the German crew, who were cruising at 35,000 feet in breach of the semicircular rule, which states that an aircraft heading in a southeasterly direction must fly at an altitude of either 29,000 , 33,000 , 37,000 or 41,000 ft m.December 2025 The Luftwaffe also acknowledged that its aircraft was at fault in the crash in its own investigative report.December 2025 In addition the report cited systemic problems in Africa's air traffic control system as contributing factors to the accident, blaming faulty communications equipment that prevented the German aircraft's flight plan from being transmitted through the proper channels and negligent controllers in Luanda who failed to pass on the aircraft's position to Namibian ATC. Another substantially contributing factor was the complicated and sporadic operation of the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunications Network (AFTN).Ranter Harro 1997-09-13 ASN Aircraft accident Tupolev Tu-154M 11+02 Namibia https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19970913-0 live 2018-01-25 Aviation Safety Network https://web.archive.org/web/20050310004345/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19970913-0 10 March 2005 The report stated that if either aircraft had been equipped with a TCAS it is highly likely the crash could have been avoided, reading, "the presence of a fully operational TCAS on either aircraft could have prevented the accident."Colonel Bill Grimes, USAF Retired The History of Big Safari https://books.google.com/books?id=ZVvKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA208 2014 Archway Publishing 978-1-4808-0456-2 208– One day before the release of the report, Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen announced that the military would begin the installation of TCAS on its aircraft.Hanley Robert 1998-04-01 German Plane Found at Fault In Collision With Air Force Jet The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/01/nyregion/german-plane-found-at-fault-in-collision-with-air-force-jet.html 2018-01-25German airplane caused crash, U.S. Air Force says DeseretNews.com 1998-03-31 https://www.deseretnews.com/article/621569/German-airplane-caused-crash-US-Air-Force-says.html https://web.archive.org/web/20180125135007/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/621569/German-airplane-caused-crash-US-Air-Force-says.html dead 25 January 2018 2018-01-25 The lack of a TCAS on the German aircraft brought considerable pressure on Germany's Federal Ministry of Defence to install collision avoidance systems on its aircraft.Ebermann Hans-Joachim https://books.google.com/books?id=ORc4LHI6DKEC&pg=PA16 Human Factors on the Flight Deck: Safe Piloting Behaviour in Practice Scheiderer Joachim 15 December 2012 Springer Science & Business Media 978-3-642-31733-0 16 Despite being listed on the Project Objective Memorandum of the C-141B for five years, installation of the TCAS began on a small number of the aircraft soon after the crash.Hewson Robert https://books.google.com/books?id=uSa4TzdgkNQC The Vital Guide to Military Aircraft Airlife 2001 978-1-84037-065-2 References Aviation Africa Germany United States 1990s Category:1997 in Namibia Category:Aviation accidents and incidents caused by air traffic controller error Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1997 Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Namibia Category:Mid-air collisions involving military aircraft Category:Mid-air collisions in Africa Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Tupolev Tu-154 Category:September 1997 in Africa Category:1997 disasters in Africa Category:20th-century disasters in Namibia