The disaster was the first involving death or injury since the cable car system opened in February 1974. Ashby and Schweitzer were court-martialed a second time for obstruction of justice and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, because they had destroyed a videotape[7] recorded from the plane on the day of the crash. The report includes flight tracing from a nearby AWACS airplane. At the time of the disaster, the altimeter alert was set at 800 feet (240 m), but the plane was flying at less than 400 feet (120 m). Use the HTML below. This was also the worst disaster that Singapore had experienced since the Spyros accident in 1978. - Sapa-dpa, WATCH: Umrah pilgrims return to a Mecca stilled by Covid-19 slump, © 2020 Independent Online and affiliated companies. Maurizio Molinari and Paolo Mastrolilli (13 July 2011). The letter was later found, unopened, in the cockpit of the EA-6B along with maps marking the cable car ropes.[11]. The top of the car was completely crushed when the 3-ton overhead carriage assembly banged onto the roof of the car. [16], By February 1999, the victims' families had received US$65,000 per victim as immediate help by the Italian government, which was reimbursed by the U.S. All rights reserved, Please visit the official Government information portal for Coronavirus by clicking HERE. On This Day — The Cavalese Cable Car Disaster (February 3 1998) [2020] Posted on February 3, 2020 by L “Many believe one of the reasons the Italian judges went after the CIA RDI [Rendition, Detention, Interrogation] and [former CIA Officer] Sabrina De Sousa in the Abu Omar case was the USMC and USG accountability failures and arrogance.” [2], On February 3, 1998, an EA-6B Prowler, BuNo (bureau number) 163045, 'CY-02', callsign Easy 01, an electronic warfare aircraft belonging to Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) of the United States Marine Corps, was on a low-altitude training mission. After approving the report, Pace suggested disciplinary measures be taken against the commanders, too. It was determined that the maps on board did not show the cables and that the EA-6B was flying somewhat faster and considerably lower than allowed by military regulations. "[7] They were found guilty in May 1999; both were dismissed from the service and the pilot received a six-month prison term. At 15:13 local time it struck the cables supporting the aerial tramway-style cable car from Cavalese. [3][4], Those killed, nineteen passengers and one operator, were eight Germans, five Belgians, three Italians, two Poles, one Austrian, and one Dutch. The disaster happened near the ski resort town of Cavalese and claimed the lives of 20 passengers on board the cable car. ; How Wayward U.S. The pilot, Captain Richard J. Ashby, and his navigator, Captain Joseph Schweitzer, were put on trial in the United States and found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. Italian prosecutors wanted the four marines to stand trial in Italy, but an Italian court recognized that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) treaties gave jurisdiction to U.S. military courts. government. The rescuers included Indian army staff, other rescue personnel as well as tour guides, and the common people of the region. The aircraft was flying at a speed of 540 miles per hour (870 km/h) and at an altitude of between 260 and 330 feet (80 and 100 m). The disaster could have been prevented if the automatic train stop safety system was switched on. Ashby's trial took place at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The Singapore Police Force, the Singapore Fire Service (now Singapore Civil Defence Force) and all three services of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) were involved in the all-night rescue operation. He urged the government to draft overseas experts to help find the problem and reassure visitors that Hong Kong is a safe destination.