1987 — Oct 20, USAF Jet Crash, Ramada Inn, Wayne Township, near Indianapolis, IN– 10
–10 European Stars and Stripes. “Drive-shaft wear cited in AF jet crash report.” 1-14-1988, 3.
–10 Frederick Post, MD. “Controllers never replied. Tape of jet fighter’s…” 11-25-1987, B3.
–10 Kokomo Tribune, IN. “Fighter crash changes routine.” 1-18-1988, 8.
–10 Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Controllers on Job Hours After Crash.” 12-14-1987, 3.
–10 Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Indianapolis Jet Crash Claims…10th Victim.” 10-30-87.
–10 Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Worn Part Cause of Jet Crash.” 1-13-1988, 1.
–10 Stars and Stripes. “Probe clears controller in crash of Air Force jet.” 12-11-1987, 7.
— 9 Baugher, Joseph F. 1969 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-10-2012 revision.
— 9 Pacific Stars and Stripes. “Experts question wisdom of controllers…crash.” 10-25-1987, 4.
— 9 Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Fighter Pilot Grounded After…Crash.” 10-26-1987, 13.
— 9 Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Jet Hits Hotel…No Time to React.” 10-21-1987, 7.
— 9 Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Pilot Did All He Could.” 10-22-1987, p. 8.
— 9 USFA TR 14. Ramada Inn Air Crash and Fire, Wayne Township, Indiana (Oct 20, 1987).
— 9 Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “Controllers faulted in jet crash.” 10-24-1987, 2.
–>7 Kokomo Tribune, IN. “Death toll rising from crash of jet.” 10-20-1987, 1.
Narrative Information
Baugher: “Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D-4-CV Corsair II….6207 (4450th TG)[1] lost power while on cross-country flight. Pilot glided aircraft 30 mi in to Indianapolis but got bad information from ATC[2] and came in with too steep a descent. Pilot ejected and aircraft struck a Ramada Inn at the airport, killing 9 on ground. Pilot absolved of any blame.” (Baugher, Joseph F. 1969 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-10-2012 revision.)
CheckSix.com: “….At 9:11 a.m., and while flying at 32,000 over the Indiana-Ohio border, Teagarden…[who had] been recently assigned to the 4450th Tactical Training Group – notified controllers at Indianapolis International Airport that his aircraft had sustained some sort of engine failure about 15 miles southwest of the city and he was gliding to Indianapolis to attempt an emergency landing….Controllers at Indianapolis directed Teagarden – who had more than 2,000 hours of flight time in fighter jets – towards Runway 5L and instructed him increase his sink rate sharply to give him maximum runway…
“But, due to the low cloud ceiling of 800 feet above the ground, and poor visibility conditions, consisting of fog, over Indianapolis at the time, Teagarden was at still at 3100 feet above sea level when he overflew the runway’s threshold, which would place him 50 yards short of the overrun of the runway. So he was forced to make an alternate plan to land on Runway 32 instead, and the controller he told him to “go around again” – despite having no engine power.
“Teagarden made a right turn to head east away from the airport, but continued to lose altitude – descending from 3100 feet to 2000 feet – just to the east of Interstate 465 at the eastern edge of the airport, where controllers lost him from the radar scope. As his altitude continued to drop, Teagarden was forced to eject from the aircraft 500 feet above ground. The plane, now powerless and pilotless, made a slight left turn towards the Park Fletcher business development….
“The Corsair clipped the roof of the Bank One branch in the 5600 block of Bradbury Avenue, and bounced back into the air. Continuing to remain aloft, it flew across the street, hit an embankment, went 25 feet airborne, and then smashed into the front of the Airport Ramada Inn.
“The plane’s cockpit and engine shot into the hotel’s main lobby, and the jet fuel on board ignited on impact, causing a fireball that covered the entire front of the hotel up to the fourth floor. The jet’s wings tore into the upper floors of the hotel, and spread out debris on top of the hotel’s carport.
“A minute after the impact, crash trucks from Indianapolis Airport arrived on the scene, and used foam to extinguish the fire, which was brought under control within minutes. At the same time, other personnel from the Airport fire department carried out search and rescue efforts throughout the building, as it was evacuated completely by Ramada Inn staff and guests.
“Luckily, the city of Indianapolis had recently prepared and rehearsed a mass disaster plan – in preparation for the Pan-American Games, which took place in the city two months prior. The eagerness of volunteer emergency workers descended on the crash site resulted in the undocumented removal of the dead and injured prior to the arrival of the coroner.
“When the smoke had cleared, it was determined that seven people, all Ramada Inn employees, were killed when the jet struck the lobby, and two more employees died of smoke inhalation when they became entrapped in the hotel’s laundry. Injuries were reported among fiver hotel guests, one of which died ten days after the crash from burns. Also injured were two firefighters and Major Teagarden….
“Ultimately, the government paid at over $8 million to the injured and the families of those who died in the Ramada Inn….[3]
“For more than two years, the charred building stood as a reminder of the tragedy. The hotel owners never rebuilt because they couldn’t decide on an appropriate design. Currently, a parking lot stands on the site.” (Check-Six.com. “Flying in an Analog…in Indianapolis, Indiana 20 October 1987.”)[4]
United States Fire Administration Overview
USFA: “On October 20, 1987 at 0911, the control tower at the Indianapolis Airport was advised by the pilot of an A-7D Corsair single-engine military aircraft of an intended emergency landing due to engine failure. The Airport Fire Department began its normal response to set up on the intended
runway.
“Due to low weather ceiling and poor visibility the plane overshot the intended runway, circled the airport and attempted to fly to an alternate runway. The Fire Department, having seen this, attempted to follow the aircraft. The pilot, unable to maintain altitude, ejected from the aircraft at approximately 500 feet.” (USFA TR 14, p. 1)
“The unoccupied aircraft careened off the roof of a Bank One branch building in the 5600 block of Bradbury Avenue in Wayne Township, crossed the street, hit an embankment, went airborne for approximately 25 feet and bellied into the front of the Ramada Inn. The aircraft shattered into many pieces, sending the cockpit and engine into the lobby and its wings to the top of the carport and upper floors of the hotel, simultaneously igniting its approximately 20,000 lbs. of fuel….” (USFA TR 14, p. 2)
“A giant fireball momentarily engulfed the entire outside front of the hotel to about the fourth floor….”
“Nine employees of the hotel were killed, all in the lobby and areas adjacent to the lobby. Four non-fire fighters were injured: an employee, a visitor to the hotel, a guest and the pilot. The visitor’s injuries were critical. In addition, three fire fighters were injured…
“Arriving within one minute of the aircraft’s impact, the Airport Fire Department crash crew began a fire suppression and rescue operation which later proved to be the most important factor in minimizing deaths and injuries.”
Investigation
“…. The Ramada Inn is a 7-story brick building with l65 rooms. It is located in an area called Park Fletcher within the Wayne Township jurisdiction, less than one half mile from the airport….” (USFA TR 14, p. 2)
“Approximately 130 guests were registered at the Ramada Inn the day of the fire plus an unknown number of employees…. “ (USFA TR 14, p. 3)
“Within a minute after ignition, Airport Crash Truck 23 arrived on the scene and began attacking the fire with AFFF (foam) from the northwest corner of the building. Crash Truck 24 approached from the northeast corner of the building and joined Truck 23 in applying AFFF on the fire. Airport Unit 27 stopped on Bradbury Avenue, which was blocked by debris from the aircraft and from the damaged Bank One building. Its crew put on airpacks and entered the west side of the building looking for victims. Airport Unit 25 with two EMT’s treated a burned employee who was coming through the east door. Another person, who had just stopped to use the phone at the hotel, was very badly burned and was found lying in the grass north of the carport. He was transported to the hospital by a private ambulance that happened to pass by. Information was obtained from one of the victims that people were trapped in the laundry room.
“Within approximately three minutes the main body of the fire was knocked down.
“A major concern of the Airport Fire Chief at this time was whether the plane was carrying any armaments. The Airport Chief advised the Wayne Township Deputy Chief of this situation and radioed the Indianapolis Airport Authority to ask whether the aircraft had weapons aboard. An Indianapolis police officer was dispatched to the hospital to interview the pilot, who had survived a low-level bail-out and was conscious and in good condition after a quick medical check. It was learned from him that there were no armaments aboard, but the delayed information had already in turn delayed the search for victims….” (USFA TR 14, p. 5)
“…a person from the south side area of the building…jumped from a third floor room onto the first floor roof of the kitchen area. This person was transported to the hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation and possible fractures….” (USFA TR 14, p. 6)
“Only two guests were assisted from the hotel by the fire department during the whole incident. The others apparently left by designated exits. The guests and employees who were in the restaurant, banquet rooms, and kitchen left by exits opening directly to the outside from these areas….
“Three bodies were found in an area behind the reception desk on the first floor. Another body was found in an office behind the reception area. Two bodies were found in an office off the lobby area. Three bodies were found in the laundry room, located down the hall from the lobby. All fatalities were later identified as employees of the hotel. A temporary morgue was setup at the northeast end of the parking lot.
“Overhaul of the second, third, and fourth floors, north side, revealed numerous pieces of the aircraft in several rooms. The main fuselage was located in the center of the building on the second floor. A large section which was believed to have been a part of the right wing was found on the collapsed carport. It still contained some fuel and had to be lifted off by use of a crane. The nosewheel and strut were located in the middle of Bradbury Avenue. The left main gear was located in the southwest corner of the Bank One parking lot. The ejection seat and canopy were located behind the bank building, a few hundred feet away.” (USFA TR 14, p. 7-8)
“As stated earlier, there were nine fatalities. Four were burned beyond recognition and had to be identified by utilizing medical and dental records. The remaining five died essentially from smoke inhalation and some thermal burns. All the victims had high levels of carbon monoxide, ranging form 4.1 percent to 76.8 percent. Those with the higher levels were located a distance away from the lobby. According to the Indianapolis Medical Examiner, these high levels of CO indicate that the victims had a momentary awareness of what was happening.
“Those injured by the fire included one female employee who was in the laundry room and escaped through the east end exit of the building. She was transported to the hospital for treatment of burns to the face and hands. According to Chief Lamb, she said she had run through smoke to an exit with which she was familiar. All of those who stayed behind in the laundry room died.
“Another injury victim was a hotel guest, rescued from the kitchen roof on the south side. He was transported to the hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation and possible fractures. A third victim received burns over 95 percent of his body. He had entered the hotel to use the telephone and was outside heading toward his vehicle parked next to the carport when the plane crashed. He was transported to the hospital.
“The pilot who parachuted from the plane landed a few blocks from the scene and was transported to the hospital for treatment of shock and possible muscle strains.
“One fire fighter from the Airport Fire Department was transported and admitted to the hospital for smoke inhalation. Two Wayne Township fire fighters were treated for smoke inhalation and released….” (USFA TR 14, p. 8)
“The roof of the Bank One building was struck by the plane’s landing gear, which caused about 40 percent of the roof on the southwest side to collapse. There was no fire in this building….” (USFA TR 14, p. 10)
“Military Liaison — A large part of the nation is exposed one way or another to hazardous military cargo. Immediate contact with the military must be established to enable emergency services to assess the risk when such cargo is involved in a fire. If the pilot had not been available for questioning, there would have been a long delay in determining what was on the plane. As it was, there was some delay. Also, some incorrect information was received from Air Force personnel on the scene as to the presence of armaments, according to Chief Lamb. It was difficult initially even to find out where the plane had come from to seek additional information on it. (USFA, pp. 11-12)
Newspapers:
Oct 20, Kokomo Tribune/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) — A jet fighter crashed a mile short of an Indianapolis International Airport runway today, plowing into a hotel where at least seven people died and others were injured as the plane exploded in a “fireball,” police and witnesses said.
“Up to 25 people were missing and seven were confirmed dead in the accident at the 220-room Ramada Inn Airport, which occurred just after 9 a.m., said Robert Duncan, an attorney for the Indianapolis Airport Authority.
“Up to 10 people were transported to area hospitals, said Larry Curl, a spokesman for the fire department rescue units on the scene.
“The A-7D Corsair jet fighter went down about one mile east of the airport, first hitting a bank building and slamming into the north side of the building.
“The hardest hit areas were the second and third floors of the hotel, with the point of impact at the second floor, just above the main lobby. Black smoke poured from the building.
“The pilot of the plane, which was a Pennsylvania Air National Guard jet fighter,[5] bailed out before the crash, and apparently was not seriously injured, a broadcast reporter at the scene said.
“Jim Yanuzzi, 38, of Flemington, N.J., a guest staying in a second-floor room in the east end of the motel, said he heard “a big explosion and the whole building shook. “I went to the door, opened the door, and the hall was full of black smoke. I went back into the room, grabbed a chair and broke out the window.” He said he jumped onto the roof of a first-floor structure and then climbed down a ladder to get to the ground. Outside, Yanuzzi said he saw a man on fire rolling on the ground and several women running out of the motel.
“A temporary morgue was established at the east end of the hotel. Authorities believe 107 people were in the building at the time.
“Firefighters continued to search room-to-room for more people….
“There are numerous hotels on the east side of the airport area, about 10 miles from downtown Indianapolis.
“Bob Horn, executive assistant manager at the nearby Adam’s Mark Hotel, said: “There are a lot of casualties that they are taking out of the building. The hotel ran close to full last night.” Horn said the plane scraped the front of Bank One and crashed into the front of the hotel, “right in front of the canopy.” “There is a lot of emergency equipment in front of the hotel and it’s pretty badly burned,” Horn said. “For the type of disaster there is not that much confusion going on. The building is on fire and the majority of people are out of the building that were able to leave,” he said.
“A disaster center was immediately set up, and streets in the area were closed off.
“Col. William Lofink, deputy commander of 112th Tactical Fighter Group, Pennsylvania Air National Guard, said the airplane was an Air Force A7-D assigned to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
He said it was en route from Greater Pittsburgh International Airport to Tinker Air Force Base in
Oklahoma on a routine training mission.[6] “We do a lot of cross-country on weekends,” Lofink said. “He came here on Friday and left at 9:02 a m this morning. He left out of here and the next thing we heard was that he went down.”
“Mort Edelstein of the Federal Aviation Administration office in Chicago said the jet fighter crashed while attempting an emergency landing at the Indianapolis International Airport He confirmed it was a Pennsylvania Air National Guard plane. The military will be conducting the investigation into the accident, Edelstein said.
“The A-7 Corsair is an old, single-engine, single-seat attack jet that was used extensively during the Vietnam War. It is no longer flown by the active Air Force, but is still operated by Air National Guard units in at least 10 states. The A-7 is a subsonic plane designed for ground attack. The plane can be equipped with 20mm or 30mm machine guns and can carry a variety of missiles and bombs under its wings. Built in the 1960s and 1970s by the LTV Aerospace and Defense Co., the plane is 46 feet long and has a wing span of about 39 feet The plane is easily distinguished for its engine inlet, which is located directly below the nose.” (Kokomo Tribune, IN. “Death toll rising from crash of jet.” 10-20-1987, 1.)
Oct 21, Pharos-Tribune/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) – When an Air Force jet fell out of the sky and exploded in a fireball into a westside Ramada Inn, none of the nine victims even had a chance to react.
“”The only thing I saw was devastation,” said eyewitness John Mentzer. “If anyone was in the lobby area they are gone. It was like a napalm bomb. The heat, the flames. It collapsed the whole front of the building.” “I would say those who were killed were killed immediately,” said Jim McCue, director of operations at the Indianapolis Airport Authority. “By the time I got there, the Ramada was on fire,” said Steve Blaser, one of the first people to reach the damaged seven-story hotel…. ‘One was on fire. He was running around and went between two cars. I was screaming at the two guys to get him on the ground. He stumbled to the ground, then we put the fire out with our coats. “All of his clothes were burned off, with just a few rags here and there. His hair was all burned. He was burned badly.” Blaser said. “The fire did not want to go out.”….
“John Kassis, a scientist at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, said the bubble atop the A7-D Corsair, an Air Force attack jet, came off with a bang. The pilot, Air Force Maj. Bruce Teagarden, 35, of Las Vegas, ejected from the plane a split second later. He suffered only minor bruises in his parachute ride to the ground. Mentzer, vice president of Cummins-Allison , said Teagarden landed in a grassy area between 500 and 800 feet in front of the plant, just northwest of the motel.
“The jet, which had lost power, clipped the roof of a Bank One branch across the street from the Ramada Inn before crashing into the lobby area of the hotel. Bank One security director Fred Roesener said it was amazing that no one in the bank was hurt. The roof, he said, “peeled itself back like the lid on a sardine can.”….
“Eyewitness Bob Eames said it appeared the plane was heading toward a gas station before it hit the motel. “The owner (of the gas station) said, ‘Run. Everybody run.’ I ran in the gas station and got everybody out. By that time, the plane bounced off the street into the lobby of the Ramada Inn. That’s when the big explosion happened,” he said. “We ran back toward the plane and saw a guy get out of his car. He was on fire. He was running, and somebody got him down and wrapped him up in a coat. It was terrible”.” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Jet Hits Hotel. For the Victims, No Time to React.” 10-21-1987, 7.)
Oct 21, Pharos-Tribune/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) – Something as simple as a bird or as complicated as a fuel interruption can cause the engine failure that led to fiery crash of an Air Force jet, killing nine people at an Indianapolis hotel. “There is no history of mechanical problems for this engine. Gas turbine engines do flame out, and that can occur for a variety of reasons,” said William Campbell, director of communications for Allison Gas Turbine. Campbell said the General Motors Corp. subsidiary manufactured 1,400 of the TF-41D engines that powered the single-engine, A-7D Corsair attack jet. Production of the engine was halted in 1983, Campbell said.
“The Corsair was developed in the 1960s for the Navy, was used extensively in Vietnam and still
is flown off aircraft carriers. The Air Force, which still has 370 of the jets in its inventory, has mostly retired the craft to the Air National Guard, with the exception of the unit that used the jet involved in the Tuesday morning crash.
“An A-7D based with the 4450th Tactical Group at Nellis Air Force Bass in Nevada crashed into a Ramada Inn while pilot Maj. Bruce L. Teagarden was attempting an emergency landing at Indianapolis International Airport.
“A check of the engine’s serial numbers determined that it had been manufactured in 1972 and had 3,000 hours of service, Campbell said. “We have no way of knowing what caused the problem,” Campbell said Tuesday. “The Air Force will conduct an investigation….
“Engine failure was also blamed in the crash of an Air Force A-7D Corsair in August of 1985 near Tinker AFB in Oklahoma. Two people were killed when the jet crashed into a house. All but two of the A-7Ds had Allison engines like the one in the jet fighter that crashed at Indianapolis, the other two produced by Pratt & Whitney.
“The crash followed an engine ‘flameout,’ which means the flame that ignites the jet’s fuel had been extinguished. The flame acts much like a sparkplug in an automobile, and without it the engine will stop.
“Campbell said an interruption in the fuel supply can cause such a flameout, as can the entry of a
foreign object, such as a bird, into the powerful turbine engine under the fuselage that distinguishes the A-7D. “You just don’t know. The pilot needs to be interviewed to find out the circumstances he was under,” Campbell said.
“The plane was found in good working order during a four-hour inspection Monday at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport, where Tuesday’s flight originated. Col. Lawrence Santerini, group commander of the 112th Tactical Fighter Group of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, said mechanics there thought the engine was in good condition.
“Campbell said the company began manufacturing the engine in a joint project with Rolls-Royce during the 1960s. A fact sheet on the aircraft states the engine provides 13,390 pounds of thrust for the 45-foot, 7-inch plane. The A-7D has a maximum range of 2,871 miles with its normal fuel load of 1,425 gallons.
“The jet that crashed had traveled approximately 350 miles from Pittsburgh.
“The engine’s service record shows that it had been flown 1,100 hours since its last major overhaul. It was due to be overhauled again after 400 more hours. “That’s not too long and the record indicates the engine received satisfactory service,” Campbell said…. “The engine is still in front-line aircraft of the U.S. Navy”.” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Engine Failure Cause is Hard to Pinpoint.” 10-21-1987, 7.)
Oct 21, AP: “Greensburg, Pa. (AP) – A pilot whose jet crashed into a hotel near the Indianapolis International Airport, killing nine people, attended a friend’s funeral and visited his in-laws before taking off on his ill-fated trip.[7]
“Air Force Maj. Bruce L. Teagarden, 35, of Las Vegas, Nev., ejected at about 800 feet [300] before his A-7D Corsair jet exploded in a fireball into the Ramada Inn Airport hotel Tuesday morning. He was treated at an Indianapolis hospital and released.
“The Greensburg Tribune-Review reported today that Teagarden flew to southwestern Pennsylvania last weekend to attend the funeral of a man he met while the two were attending West Virginia University during the 1970s. The man, Gary Swisher, also a pilot, was buried in his hometown of Mannington, W.Va.[8] “He was sad, but he took Gary’s death in stride,” his mother, Mrs. Hiram Teagarden of Mount Morris, told the Tribune-Review.
“Teagarden grew up in the Greene County community of Mount Morris, just north of the Pennsylvania-West Virginia border, and graduated from WVU in 1975. He spent Monday night with his in-laws, Regis and Elizabeth Susalla of Plum, just east of Pittsburgh. Susalla said Teagarden talked about his wife, Katherine, and their two children.” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Pilot Attended Funeral Day Before.” 10-21-1987, 7.)
Oct 21, Pharos-Tribune/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) — The Air Force plane that crashed into a hotel killing at least nine people approached the airport from too high an altitude on his first try and had to go around again, an airport official said.
“Pilot Maj. Bruce J. Teagarden, 35, of Las Vegas, Nev., notified the tower at about 9:12 a.m. of his emergency. Three minutes later, the plane crashed into a hotel and engulfed it in flames, said Robert Spitler of the Indianapolis Airport Authority. The plane skimmed the roof of a bank and crashed into the Ramada Inn Airport hotel at 9:15 a.m….
“”He’d come down, but could not get rid of the altitude quick enough and came over the airport too high,” Spitler said.
“The controllers earlier decided to have him land at another runway, giving the pilot a chance to circle and get closer to the ground, he said.
“Spitler said the last communication from the pilot was that “he was making a right turn, and that he was going to have to get out. He was looking for an open field, and he was going to have to get out of the airplane”.” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Plane Was Too High on 1st Try.” 10-21-1987, 7.)
Oct 22, Pharos-Tribune/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) — An Air Force general is confident investigators will learn what caused the engine of a Corsair A-7D attack jet to fail and send the craft crashing into a hotel, but he says it may take more than a month to do so. Brig. Gen. Joel T. Hall of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., said the investigation into Tuesday’s crash that killed nine employees of the Airport Ramada Inn hotel could last as long as 40 days. But he said he was sure the seven-member Air Force Mishap
Investigation Board would find the reason behind it. “I wouldn’t say that 100 percent we are always successful, but my experience is that we are always able to determine what caused it,” Hall said Wednesday. “Pretty much when it is a mechanical thing, we can generally find out.”
“A memorial service for the nine hotel employees, who ranged from an assistant manager to a pair of busboys, was to be held at a downtown church today.
“Six other people were injured, and one, Tom Murray, 41, of Indianapolis, remained in “very critical condition” at Wishard Memorial Hospital today with third-degree burns on 95 percent of his body.
“The crash occurred Tuesday morning when the jet experienced engine failure 15 miles south of
Indianapolis, overshot an emergency landing at Indianapolis International Airport and plowed into the hotel’s lobby while circling back. The pilot, Maj. Bruce L. Teagarden, said he aimed the
crippled plane for an open field but could not control it….
“Hall said he began questioning Teagarden Wednesday, but the process was moving slowly. “He has some emotional problems, and it is going to take several days to walk through this.” “It’s tragic. I understand the anguish. But he did the best he could. Air Force policy is to minimize the loss of life in a crash, and as best we can determine that’s what he did,” Hall added.
“The Air Force investigators were expected to remain on the scene two weeks. By Wednesday evening they had recovered most of the single jet engine that powered the Corsair. Hall said the remaining jet wreckage should be pulled from the hotel by Friday….” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Pilot Did All He Could.” 10-22-1987, p. 8.)
Oct 24, Wisc. State Journal/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) — Air traffic controllers probably made “a bad call” in their directions to the pilot of an Air Force jet that crashed into a hotel, killing nine of its employees, an aviation safety official says….John Galipault, president of Aviation Safety Institute in Worthington, Ohio, said tower personnel at Indianapolis International Airport may have disregarded alternatives that could have prevented the disaster.
“The Aviation Safety Institute is a recognized authority on air safety that conducts independent crash investigations and maintains a data bank of all air incidents.
“Galipault said that after controllers realized Teagarden was too high on his initial approach they should have told him to spiral right immediately instead of going the length of the runway, the Indianapolis News reported Friday. Teagarden might then have been able to steer his A-7D around for another try at the same runway, Galipault said. “I think it’s probably a bad call,” Galipault told the newspaper. “He’s continuing to lose altitude and they should have spun him right there.”
“However, Federal Aviation Administration officials said an initial review indicates air controllers acted properly. “Now these guys who are saying the controller should have done such and such, you know, that’s really nothing more than Monday morning quarterbacking or second guessing after the fact,” said FAA chief spokesman John Leyden. FAA officials have not released any information on the exchanges between the pilot and the controllers.” (Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “Controllers faulted in jet crash.” 10-24-1987, 2.)
Oct 25, Pacific Stars and Stripes/UPI: “Indianapolis (UPI) – The crash of a disabled Air Force into a hotel lobby could have been averted had air traffic controllers on duty done a better job, an aviation safety expert and two former controllers said in a published report Friday…. James Tanner of Terre Haute, who served as president of Local 358 of the Professional Air Traffic Control Organization, called it “a cardinal sin” to allow the plane to turn over a populated area.” (Pacific Stars and Stripes, Tokyo. “Experts question wisdom of controllers in A-7D crash.” 10-25-1987, 4.)
Oct 26, Pharos-Tribune/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) – The Air Force has paid more than $50,000 in claims in the six days since a military jet lost power and crashed into a Ramada Inn hotel here, killing nine people and injuring six others. As of noon Sunday, the Air Force…had paid $50,427 on 55 property claims stemming from the accident last Tuesday, said Capt. Grant Berggren, an Air Force claims officer. Also, 15 to 20 hotel employees had received an average of about $500 apiece from the Air Force claims office to help them get through the first few days after the crash, said Robert Taylor, who was food and beverage director at the Ramada. “At this point the Air Force has been giving some emergency assistance. That is minimal. When you have rents and doctor bills due, you need assistance,” Taylor said Saturday….
“Meanwhile, Thomas Murray, 37, a salesman from Carmel who had stopped at the hotel to use a
telephone moments before the crash, remained in critical condition Sunday at Wishard Memorial
Hospital with burns over 95 percent of his body. The other injured have all been treated and released….
“The jet pilot returned to Nevada Saturday and, in accordance with standard procedure, will be grounded at least until the Air Force investigation is completed, Air Force officials say. “Also, he will not fly until a flight surgeon determines that he is emotionally and physically able,” said Col. William H. Johnson, who said Maj. Bruce L. Teagarden, 35, remains distraught about the crash. Teagarden…returned Saturday to Nellis Air Force Base, Capt. Ron McGee said Sunday.” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Fighter Pilot Grounded After Ramada Crash.” 10-26-87, 13.)
Oct 30, Pharos-Tribune/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) – A salesman severely burned by fuel from the Air Force jet that crashed into the Airport Ramada Inn has died, raising the death toll from the crash to 10. Thomas D. Murray, 37, of Carmel, had stopped at the hotel to make a telephone call moments before the Oct. 20 crash, which instantly killed nine other people — all Ramada Inn employees….
“Murray died at 5:23 p.m. Thursday at Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis, hospital officials said. He had suffered third-degree burns over 95 percent of his body and chemical burns to his lungs, the hospital said. “He said he had just got done using the telephone in the lobby and was walking to his car” when the crash occurred, Kevin R. Fitchey, an emergency medical technician, said at the time.
“Murray, the father of four children ages 2 to 14, was treated at Wishard’s Burn Unit, where immediately following the crash doctors performed a procedure to restore circulation in his body. His burned skin was bathed in antibiotics and his body completely swathed in bandages. He was kept heavily sedated after the accident and was prevented from talking by a tube inserted in his throat to keep his airway from closing, said his physician, Dr. Shirley A. Madison.
“Murray’s clothing burst into flames when the jet crashed, and witnesses arriving on the scene struggled to put out the fire with a coat. “He had just fallen down. He was on fire and most of his clothes were burned off,” Fitchey said. “He was in shock and he said, ‘Help me, help me.”
“Murray was a district sales manager for Haynes International Inc., a metal products company in Kokomo….” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Indianapolis Jet Crash Claims its 10th Victim.” 10-30-1987, 1-2.)
Nov 24, AP: “Des Plaines, Ill. (AP) — The pilot of a powerless jet fighter asked whether he was nearing populated areas moments before his craft crashed into an Indianapolis hotel, but air traffic controllers never replied, according to a tape released Tuesday….
“Authorities have said that Maj. Teagarden, 35, couldn’t see the ground 10 tell if his plane was near a populated area because of clouds and that he didn’t see the ground until he was about 800 feet above it. “I’ll be dead-sticking it in. And say if there is any kind of housing area close to me in case I have to get rid of this thing,” Maj. Teagarden said on the tape.
“”I can’t answer the question as to why that transmission was not responded to,” Federal Aviation
Administration spokesman David Erickson told reporters after playing the tape at a news conference. “I don’t know what was going through the controller’s mind,” Mr. Erickson said. He said that would be part of the Air Force’s investigation of the accident, but declined to discuss the investigation. In an interview, Mr. Erickson said that when the pilot asked the question he was still over rural land about eight miles southwest of the Indianapolis International Airport. Mr. Erickson said even if the pilot had veered his plane away from the hotel after he overshot the runway, it likely would have hit a warehousing area or a shopping center. “Right or left, it’s take your pick.”
“While the FAA has no set procedure for answering questions about whether a potential crash site is populated, Mr. Erickson said, “it’s a question that … if the controller knows, he tells them.” “I believe the controllers did what they thought was the right thing to do,” he said.
“Except for Maj. Teagarden’s five “Mayday” distress calls, the voices of the controllers and the pilot sounded calm on the tape. “Mayday, Mayday. This is Chaps 2-4 (Maj. Teagarden’s call sign). I just lost an engine,” the pilot first told controllers. Later a controller asked, “Chaps 2-4, will you be able to accept a turn away from the airport for traffic?” “Negative. I’ve got to get on the ground,” replied Maj. Teagarden, who was flying from Pittsburgh to his home base near Las Vegas, Nev.
“Controllers gave Maj. Teagarden weather and local altimeter settings. But the tapes do not indicate they asked for his rate of descent. Mr. Erickson said the controllers could monitor the plane’s rate of descent on radar.
“Mr. Erickson said that after Maj. Teagarden missed one runway, controllers told him to turn right toward a second runway, “the closest runway possible and into the wind,” but that prompted the pilot to say: “And Chaps 2-4 is no joy.” “By ‘no joy,’ he meant, “I do not see the airport,” Mr. Erickson said.
“Although Maj. Teagarden managed to turn the unarmed jet right toward the second runway, the plane was gliding too fast and he missed. “Unable. Unable, and it looks like I might have to get out of it, and I’m going down in a housing area,” Maj. Teagarden told the tower seconds before he ejected. The plane clipped the corner of a bank, skidded across a street and crashed into the lobby of the Ramada Inn.” (Frederick Post, MD. “Controllers never replied. Tape of jet fighter’s last minutes released.” 11-25-1987, B3.)
Dec 11/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) — No action is expected against the air traffic controller who did not respond when the pilot of a powerless Air Force jet warned he might have to crash and asked if he was near a populated area, a federal official said….Mori Edelstein of the Federal Aviation Administration’s regional office in Des Plaines, III., said the controller didn’t do anything wrong
“He apparently didn’t hear the guy,” Edelstein said in a telephone interview.
“The FAA’s official investigation of the incident is finished, but it has not been released publicly.
The agency will turn over its report to the Air Force, which is conducting the only other investigation into the crash.
“The pilot, Maj. Bruce L. Teagarden, tried unsuccessfully to restart the engine of the jet when its
power went out not far from Indianapolis International Airport….” (European Stars and Stripes, Darmstadt. “Probe clears controller in crash of Air Force jet.” 12-11-1987, 7.)
Dec 14, AP: “Indianapolis (AP) — Two air traffic controllers who dealt with a disabled military jet that crashed into a hotel and killed 10 people returned to their jobs within three hours of the fatal crash, published reports say. One of their supervisors said there was no reason why the controllers could not return to work, but a former controller says the two should have remained off the job at least for the rest of the day.
“The Indianapolis Star reported Saturday that one controller, whom it identified as Richard D. Arnold, not only completed his normal shift on the day of the Oct. 20 crash, but also returned to
work 7½ hours later….” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Controllers on Job Hours After Crash.” 12-14-1987, 3.)
Jan 13, AP: “Las Vegas, Nev. (AP) — Mechanics knew a driveshaft spline[9] was prone to excessive wear more than a year before the part failed in an Air Force jet that crashed into an Indianapolis hotel, an Air Force report said. The part was not replaced in the doomed A-7D Corsair fighter, however, because the jet’s engine had undergone maintenance just prior to a directive ordering the driveshaft splines be inspected during compressor maintenance, the report said. The engine of the A-7D Corsair fighter jet flamed out several miles from Indianapolis and the plane crashed into the Airport Ramada Inn, killing 10 people on Oct. 20…
“The report released Tuesday [Jan 12] also said that there was confusion between air traffic controllers and the pilot, whose initial distress call was blocked by other radio calls.
“”It’s pretty evident what happened,” said Maj. Victor Andrijauskas, a spokesman at Nellis Air force Base, where the plane and its pilot were based. “To make it simple, it was a driveshaft that attached to a turbine that failed. When it failed, it precluded the engine from getting fuel, air and ignition.”
“The pilot, Maj. Bruce Teagarden, told Air Force investigators he made every effort to point the plane away from populated areas, but the aircraft still banked to the right when he ejected. “(After ejection) I was looking right over the tail of the airplane and it wasn’t going where I aimed it,” said Teagarden. “It was in a right bank. I saw it going right for a big building.”
“The report revealed that Air Force mechanics had noticed excessive wear on the drive-shafts of three jets similar to the one that crashed.” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Worn Part Cause of Jet Crash.” 1-13-1988, 1.)
Jan 14/AP: “Las Vegas, Nev. (AP)…. The report said problems with drive-shaft splines — teeth that fit into grooves on the turbine to drive various parts of the engine — were first noticed by Air Force mechanics overhauling an A-7D engine in November l984. Excessive wear also was found on two jets in March 1986 and May I986. A directive to check drive-shaft splines during compressor work on Corsairs went into effect in October 1986, four months after the doomed jet’s final compressor maintenance, according to the report….
“The pilot was about 800 feet above the ground when he broke out of clouds and began searching for an area to eject, the report said. He saw a pie-shaped field, aimed the plane at it and ejected while about 300 feet above the ground. Teagarden has been grounded until a flight evaluation board determines whether he acted properly.” (European Stars and Stripes. “Drive-shaft wear cited in AF jet crash report.” 1-14-1988, 3.)
Jan 18/AP: “Indianapolis (AP) — An Air Force spokesman says the crash of a fighter jet into an Indianapolis hotel has prompted the Air Force to check oil samples for signs of engine wear after every long-distance flight….An Air Force report released this week blamed the crash on worn splines that prevented the craft’s jet turbine from locking into the driveshaft, cutting off the flow of fuel and air. Master Sgt. Glen Everett of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., which conducted the investigation, said oil samples now will be taken and checked for metal particles that would indicate engine wear after every long-distance flight.” (Kokomo Tribune, IN. “Fighter crash changes routine.” 1-18-1988, p. 8.)
Sources
Baugher, Joseph F. 1969 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-10-2012 revision. Accessed 3-10-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1969.html
European Stars and Stripes, Darmstadt, Germany. “Drive-shaft wear cited in AF jet crash report.” 1-14-1988, p. 3. http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=133602955
European Stars and Stripes, Darmstadt, Germany. “Probe clears controller in crash of Air Force jet.” 12-11-1987, 7. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=133601760
Frederick Post, MD. “Controllers never replied. Tape of jet fighter’s last minutes released.” 11-25-1987, B3. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=14143935
Kokomo Tribune, IN. “Death toll rising from crash of jet.” 10-20-1987, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=115546721
Kokomo Tribune, IN. “Fighter crash changes routine.” 1-18-1988, 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=113628915
Pacific Stars and Stripes, Tokyo, Japan. “Experts question wisdom of controllers in A-7D crash.” 10-25-1987, 4. http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=133293897
Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Controllers on Job Hours After Crash.” 12-14-1987, 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=109405354
Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Fighter Pilot Grounded After Ramada Crash [Indianapolis].” 10-26-1987, 13. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=109404452
Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Indianapolis Jet Crash Claims its 10th Victim.” 10-30-1987, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=109404522
Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Jet Hits Hotel. For the Victims, No Time to React.” 10-21-1987, p. 7. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=109404340
Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Pilot Did All He Could.” 10-22-1987, p. 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=109404365
Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “Worn Part Cause of Jet Crash.” 1-13-1988, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=109405832
United States Fire Administration. Ramada Inn Air Crash and Fire, Wayne Township, Indiana (October 20, 1987) (Technical Report Series 014). Emmitsburg, MD: USFA, National Fire Data Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 47 pages. Accessed 10-24-2016 at: http://www.interfire.org/res_file/pdf/Tr-014.pdf
Wisconsin State Journal, Madison. “Controllers faulted in jet crash [Indianapolis].” 10-24-1987, p. 2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=162135016
[1] The 4450 Tactical Group is now an inactive USAF unit. It was a classified unit, active from Oct 15, 1979 to Oct 5, 1989, developed to fly F-117 “Stealth” aircraft. The unit was officially headquartered at Nellis AFB, Nevada, but operationally located at Tonopah Test Range, NV. “The 4450th TG…operated the A-7D Corsair II as a surrogate trainer for the F-117A, and…later the A-7D’s were used for F-117A chase testing and other weapon tests at the Nellis Range.” (Wikipedia. “4450th Tactical Group.” 3-3-2012 modification.)
[2] Air Traffic Control.
[3] This may well not be accurate. From The Reporter: “On 2 April 1992, the United States reached settlement in the last three lawsuits arising out of the crash of an A-7D aircraft into the Ramada Inn near the Indianapolis airport on 20 October 1987. All claims and litigation arising out of this mishap have now been settled….As a result of this mishap, 168 claims were filed against the Air Force, of which 150 claims (including 3 wrongful death claims) were settled administratively under the Military Claims Act for $1.9 million…. (The Reporter. “A-7D Crash, Ramada Inn, Indianapolis, Indiana.” Vol. 19, No. 2, p. 17.)
[4] No sources are cited at any point in this material.
[5] This, apparently, was a “misdirection.” This was a USAF plane “enroute to Nevada’s Tonopah Test Range and Nellis AFB…,” where it was stationed. (Check-Six.com. “Flying in an Analog…in Indianapolis, Indiana 20 October 1987.”). See, also, later newspaper reports cited below.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Which raises the question – was Major Teagarden allowed by the USAF to fly the A-7D cross-country just to attend his friend’s funeral, under the classification of a “training” mission?
[8] Major Gary Swisher “who was killed October 8 when his fighter plane crashed in North Carolina.” (Check-Six.com. “Flying in an Analog…in Indianapolis, Indiana 20 October 1987.”)
[9] “Splines are ridges or teeth on a drive shaft that mesh with grooves in a mating piece and transfer torque to it, maintaining the angular correspondence between them…” (Wikipedia. “Spline (mechanical).” 1-21-2012 mod.)