On this day in 1988 the accident at the Ramstein air show involving the Italian aerobatic team, Frecce Tricolori, led to a significant loss of life and changed how air displays are flown. Team pilot Antonio Vivona, whose aircraft was damaged by debris, shares his memories of the accident with Eugenio Facci as well as the events which followed.
On August 28, 1988 the Italian Air Force aerobatic team Frecce Tricolori were scheduled to perform at the ‘Flugtag 88’ Ramstein air show in West Germany in front of around 300,000 people. The ten-aircraft formation took off for its display in the early afternoon, but a few minutes into its routine three of the aircraft collided, one of them crashing into the crowd. A total of 70 people were killed in the tragedy. Those that lost their lives included the pilots of three Frecce Tricolori aircraft: Mario Naldini, Team Leader of the formation (Pony 1); Giorgio Alessio (Pony 2); and Ivo Nutarelli, the ‘Solista’ (Pony 10).
Q: What do you remember of that day, before you took off?
A: It was an absolutely normal display day. In the morning we had our usual briefing, led by our Sqn Cdr, Diego Raineri, and our Team Leader, Mario Naldini. It was a routine briefing, going over the manoeuvres, the h…
