IV
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. RES. 183
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the settlement
of claims of citizens of the United States against the Government of
Germany with respect to the deaths of members of the United States
Air Force resulting from the collision off the coast of Namibia of a
German Luftwaffe aircraft with a United States Air Force aircraft on
September 13, 1997.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 19, 1999
Mr. SANFORD (for himself, Mr. GOODE, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. SAXTON, Mr.
LAMPSON, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. DELAY, Mr. MCGOV-
ERN, Mr. DOYLE, and Mr. GILCHREST) submitted the following resolu-
tion; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regard-
ing the settlement of claims of citizens of the United
States against the Government of Germany with respect
to the deaths of members of the United States Air Force
resulting from the collision off the coast of Namibia
of a German Luftwaffe aircraft with a United States
Air Force aircraft on September 13, 1997.
Whereas on September 13, 1997, a German Luftwaffe
Tupelov TU–154M aircraft collided with a United
•HRES 183 IH
States Air Force C–141 Starlifter aircraft off the
coast of Namibia;
Whereas as a result of that collision nine members of the
United States Air Force were killed, namely: Staff
Sergeant Stacey D. Bryant, 32, loadmaster, Provi-
dence, Rhode Island; Staff Sergeant Gary A.
Bucknam, 25, flight engineer, Oakland, Maine; Cap-
tain Gregory M. Cindrich, 28, pilot, Byrans Road,
Maryland; Airman 1st Class Justin R. Drager, 19,
loadmaster, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Staff Ser-
geant Robert K. Evans, 31, flight engineer, Garrison,
Kentucky; Captain Jason S. Ramsey, 27, pilot, South
Boston, Virginia; Staff Sergeant Scott N. Roberts, 27,
flight engineer, Library, Pennsylvania; Captain Peter
C. Vallejo, 34, aircraft commander, Crestwood, New
York; and Senior Airman Frankie L. Walker, 23, crew
chief, Windber, Pennsylvania;
Whereas the Final Report of the Ministry of Defense to
the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag
states unequivocally that, following an investigation,
the Directorate of Flight Safety of the German Fed-
eral Armed Forces assigned responsibility for the colli-
sion to the Aircraft Commander/Commandant of the
Luftwaffe Tupelov TU–154M aircraft for flying at a
•HRES 183 IH
flight level that did not conform to international flight
rules;
Whereas the United States Air Force accident investiga-
tion report concluded that the primary cause of the
collision was the Luftwaffe Tupelov TU–154M air-
craft flying at an incorrect cruise altitude;
Whereas procedures for filing claims under the Status of
Forces Agreement are unavailable to the families of
the members of the United States Air Force killed in
the collision; and
Whereas the families of the members of the United States
Air Force killed in the collision have filed claims
against the Government of Germany: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the Government of Germany should
promptly agree to a fair settlement with, and promptly
make payments under that settlement to, the families of
the members of the United States Air Force killed in a
collision between a United States Air Force C–141
Starlifter aircraft and a German Luftwaffe Tupelov TU–
154M aircraft off the coast of Namibia on September 13,
1997.
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