Hercules C-130 crashed while displaying a low level airdrop technique

I was talking about this tonight 35 years too the day...had no idea. I was there ...9 years old.....they loaded us on a bus and took us to another range for more demo

Hi Everett, I was there that day as well. I had jumped in the CAPEX earlier as a part of the demonstration. I was just inside those trees on the right, in the shade, relaxing when the aircraft crashed. It boiled by me in a wall of flame, which burned off my eyelashes, eyebrows and the front of my beret. I saw your friend, the load master get ejected out the tailgate after the load. I ran to the wreckage when it stopped moving, the heat was too intense to do anything.. and I already had 1st degree burns on my face. I saw the HMMWV crushed under the nose of the aircraft and saw the fire engulf the soldier in it. There was nothing I could do. It was not a good day.

I was there with retired command sergeant major Robert Mackenzie . I am proud to say he was my friend and has since left us in 2003 . We were seated in the bleachers at the end of the runway with a lot of 82nd airbourne and there families . The airmen were probably under tremendous pressure to pull off that drop , I wish they could have cut the chute . They surely were doing everything they could to spare the lives of there friends and family . My heart goes out to there families and to the 82nd .

I was 8 when this happened. It was the first time I got to watch my dad jump out of a plane. He used to joke that he would never go on a plane without his parachute. At the time when this happened, I thought it was part of the show. And then I remember everyone running back to our buses and yelling to duck. I was so scared. I remember this like it was yesterday and I remember telling my dad that the guys who were flying that plane were Heros to me because they could have easily came toward the crowds but instead they went for the trees. If any one who is related to any of the crewman flying this plane, please know that there are a lot of us who still think they were all hero's. May God bless their souls.

Wow! That brings back horrible memories. My squad was supposed to jump that day following the LAPES. At the last moment that morning we got dropped when we arrived at Green Ramp. I ended up in the stands on the far end near the crash. We ran toward the crash to help but the flames were too intense. I couldn't help thinking "that could have been me" for a long time after.

I was in the crowd, too (13 years old). I still remember it vividly.

I was ten years old at the time when I saw this happen.I haven't seen ANYTHING about this until today.Please e-mail at rjohnson2490@nc.rr.com if you were there.I cant help but feel the deepest sorrow for everyone involved. REST IN PEACE.

C 130 is very safe aircraft but Low level tactical missions can fatal.It is military air craft so it is proud for crew to fly such types of missions but time warnings are very important.In this video it was bad luck of the crew.

If you study the approach, you will notice that equipment is deployed too soon (A/C too high) which causes a nose-down attitude. The second chute is deployed just after the first which makes the situation worse.Pilot is too slow to react.

Hey Michael, I was there also and actually very close to where the person that shot this video was located...I recall it like it was yesterday...Our platoon was asigned some of the debri flagging detail...Reb 2/325 AIR

Classic "swap ends" maneuver. If you set too steep a descent, then flaring the plane will not be enough to arrest the downward vector and you will hit the ground, instead of leveling off. If not too violent, you can recover.

Horrible mistake! I hope everyone survived?

The weight of the Sheridan seemed to slam the rear of the C- 130 to the ground as the pilot tried to climb again. After that, looked like the bird was snapped into two pieces in the middle. Never realized anyone survived that crash.

I was on a driving detail that day and was on the other side of Sicily DZ watching the show. From my view, looked like the pilot realized the aircraft was too high when the chute was deployed and he nosed down. (contintued...)

THIS WAS MY SQADRON AT POPE,AFB AND THE MAJORITY OF THE SPECTATORS WERE SQADRON FAMILY MEMBERS, IT WAS A VERY SAD DAY FOR ALL. THIS SQADRON NOW FLYS THE NEW J MODELS AT LRAFB

My friend Douglas Beverly was the jump master on the flight and one of the surviving crewmen. He was ejected from the rear of the plane, apparently when the tank was ejected, and regained consciousness 3 weeks later.

Sad situation. Looks like the critical angle of attack was exceeded during the abrupt attempted pull up from the steep descent. The wings temporarily stalled and the plane plowed through the air to slam on the ground. not gradual enough.

IT WAS YOUR LUCKY DAY MICHAEL.....

I was one of the personnel standing beside the vehicles as the plane crashes. I was in the military at the time and I had taken my soldiers out to watch the CAPEX that day.