Arrow Air Flight 1285R

**Arrow Air Flight 1285R** was an international charter flight carrying U.S. Army personnel from Cairo, Egypt, to their home base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, via Cologne, West Germany, and Gander, Newfoundland. On the morning of Thursday, 12 December 1985, shortly after takeoff from Gander en route to Fort Campbell, the McDonnell Douglas DC-8 serving the flight stalled, crashed, and burned about half a mile from the runway, killing all 248 passengers and 8 crew members on board. As of 2022, it is the deadliest aviation accident to occur on Canadian soil. At the time of the crash, it was the deadliest aviation accident involving a DC-8; as of 2023, it is the second-deadliest, behind the crash of Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 six years later.

## History

The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-63CF, was chartered to carry U.S. Army personnel, all but 12 of them members of the 101st Airborne Division, back to their base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They had completed a six-month deployment in the Sinai, in the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission. The DC-8 involved in the accident (registration N950JW) was manufactured in 1969, and was first delivered to Eastern Air Lines and then leased to other airlines before being leased to Arrow Air under its owner/parent company, International Air Leases.

The DC-8 began its takeoff roll on runway 22 from the intersection of runway 13 at 10:15 UTC (06:45 NST). It rotated near taxiway A, 51 seconds after brake release, at an airspeed of about 167 knots (309 km/h; 192 mph) IAS. Witnesses reported the aircraft showed difficulty gaining altitude after rotation. Once airborne, the airspeed reached 172 knots (319 km/h; 198 mph) IAS before decreasing again, causing the DC-8 to descend. After crossing the Trans-Canada Highway, located about 900 feet (270 m) from the departure end of runway 22, at a very low altitude, the aircraft's pitch increased, and it continued to descend.

Witnesses driving on the highway stated that they saw a bright glow emanating from the aircraft before it struck terrain just short of Gander Lake and crashed approximately 3,500 feet (1,100 m) beyond the departure end of the runway. Flight 1285R broke up, struck an unoccupied building and exploded; this started an intense fire fed by the large amount of fuel carried on board for the final leg of the flight. All 248 passengers and 8 crew perished.

## Victims

* Specialist Paul Joseph Bostwick, 18
* Private 1st Class Gregory "Buck" Buchanan, 18
* Corporal Michael Thomas Nolan, 18
* Private 1st Class Trevor Mantel Campbell, 18
* Specialist Kelly Shawn Graham, 18
* Private 1st Class Mark Edward Abrams, 19
* Private 1st Class Kenneth John Nelson, 19
* Specialist Thomas Dewayne Dixon, 19
* Private 1st Class Clinton Duane Smith, 19
* Specialist Gregory "Greg" Carter, 19
* Specialist Darrin Patrick Brady, 19
* Corporal Eric Joseph Baumann, 19
* Specialist Edward Myron Beer, 19
* Sergeant Paul Dane Stephens, 19
* Specialist Wyatt David Benson, 19
* Private Adrian Deon Jackson, 19
* Specialist Thomas Taft Hileman, 19
* Sergeant Frank "Frankie" Wheeler, 19
* Private 1st Class Keith Mitchell Schultz, 19
* Specialist Rodger Louis Wilson, 19
* Specialist Cary Todd Yeargan, 19
* Private 1st Class John Charles Wester, 19
* Specialist Blachard Thomas Searcy, 19
* Specialist Sammy Dale Dale Bittle, 19
* Private 1st Class Joe Wayne Highfill, 19
* Specialist Christopher Thomas Gray, 19
* Specialist Garett Richard Chaddock, 19
* Private 2nd Class Melvin Wayne Reed, 19
* Private 1st Class Donald Lee Mathis, 19
* Corporal Steven Craig Venneri, 19
* Private 1st Class Dennis Cartwright, 19
* Specialist Roberto Gonzales, 19
* Private 1st Class Jeffrey "Jeff" Hull, 19
* Private 2nd Class Joseph Wayne Goree, 19
* Private 1st Class Michael Edward Craig, 19
* Specialist Mark William Ferguson, 19
* Specialist Brian Daniel Harris, 20
* Private 1st Class Robert Louis Olson, 20
* Specialist Bobby Leadiouz Banks, 20
* Private 1st Class Gregory William Richardson, 20
* Specialist Paul Markham Crawford, 20
* Specialist Franklin Rowdy Wilkins, 20
* Specialist Philip Ray Caudill, 20
* Specialist Paul Kroener Fuller, 20
* Private 1st Class David Allen Jordan, 20
* Specialist Thomas Vernon Smith, 20
* Private 1st Class Stuart Nathaniel Arrowood, 20
* Sergeant John Mark Kuehn, 20
* Specialist Steven John Bradshaw, 20
* Specialist William Raymond Brilya, 20
* Sergeant Todd Martice Jennings, 20
* Specialist Ernest "Ernie" Serna, 20
* Private 1st Class Orlando Freeman Council, 20
* Specialist David Lee Rawls, 20
* Specialist Johnny Lee Brown, 20
* Specialist Scott Warren Gerdes, 20
* Corporal Raimo Kalervo Puntanen, 20
* Sergeant Terry Richard Pevey, 20
* Private 2nd Class Mark Steven Hassing, 20
* Sergeant Virginia "Jenny" Word, 20
* Specialist David Wayne Heidecker, 20
* Specialist Timothy Evan Miller, 20
* Sergeant David Fitch, 20
* Specialist Gregory Walker, 20
* Specialist Carl Nelson Simmons, 20
* Private 1st Class Benjamin Rogers Lynch, 20
* Specialist Charles "Chuck" Hughes, 20
* Specialist Brian Edward Wallace, 20
* Private 1st Class Kevin Scott Hobbs, 20
* Private 1st Class William Walter Hansen, 20
* Sergeant Cathleen Marie Ziegler, 21
* Specialist Patrick Scott Reasbeck, 21
* Private 1st Class Mark Spearman, 21
* Sergeant Steven Wayne Mullins, 21
* Sergeant Reginald Van Haugsdahl, 21
* Specialist William Michael Lloyd, 21
* Sergeant Christine Marie McCleery, 21
* Sergeant James Harold Williamson, 21
* Private 1st Class Jerrin Andrea Johnson, 21
* Sergeant Gary Lee Scott, 21
* Corporal Wayne Vinson, 21
* Specialist Richard David Rimiller, 21
* Specialist Gary Lee Straub, 21
* Sergeant Michael Andrew Napier, 21
* Specialist James Emerson Shook, 21
* Sergeant Bobby Earl Roberts, 21
* Private Chester Donel Hardeman, 21
* Private 1st Class Alexander William Stearn, 21
* Sergeant Michael Joseph Gonzales, 21
* Specialist Walter Gene Daniels, 21
* Sergeant Stephen Rice Colby, 21
* Sergeant Tony Lynn Brasfield, 21
* Sergeant John Patrick Bowen, 21
* Sergeant Joseph "Joe" Jones, 21
* Specialist Jerry Joe King, 21
* Specialist Anthony Lovell Gayton, 21
* Sergeant Gary Wayne Padgett, 21
* Private 1st Class Scott Allen Stritch, 21
* Sergeant Randy Sam Stewart, 21
* Private 1st Class Bruce Edward Kiser, 21
* Sergeant Guy William Walker, 22
* Specialist Frederic Charles Seitz, 22
* Sergeant James Albert Mollett, 22
* Specialist Ronald Craig Russell, 22
* Private 2nd Class Alvin Morton Phillips, 22
* Sergeant Paul Arron McArdle, 22
* Specialist Gregory Allen Owens, 22
* Specialist Richard Stringer, 22
* Sergeant John Scott Smith, 22
* First Lieutenant Robert Gordon Hart, 22
* Sergeant John Trosper Bradley, 22
* Sergeant Thomas Jan Foskey, 22
* Sergeant Thomas Edward Danielsen, 22
* Sergeant Kevin Alan Gantzer, 22
* Sergeant Theodore "Teddy" Wisson, 22
* Corporal Robert Wyn, 22
* Specialist Darnell Andrews, 22
* Sergeant Mark Edward Carter, 22
* Specialist Ivan Rafael Aponte, 22
* Sergeant George Andrew Britt, 22
* Private 1st Class Troy Ray Cupples, 22
* Sergeant Joseph Louis DiVentura, 22
* Staff Sergeant Jeffrey "Jeff" Kee, 22
* Specialist Scott Bryan Thompson, 22
* Sergeant Christopher William Engelbert, 22
* Specialist Kevin Foster Fink, 23
* Sergeant James "Doug" Phillips, 23
* Sergeant Michael Ronald Rahr, 23
* Sergeant Matthew Scott Sloan, 23
* Private 1st Class Theadore "Teddy" Pafford, 23
* First Lieutenant John Bruce Witmer, 23
* Specialist Herbert Dwayne Alexander, 23
* Specialist David Allen Bury, 23
* Corporal John "Ricky" Wright, 23
* Private 1st Class Thomas Lee Martin, 23
* Sergeant Jimmy Dean Davis, 23
* Specialist Robert Frank Thomas, 23
* Private 2nd Class Vickie Seth Perry, 23
* Specialist Randall Alan Lane, 23
* Stacy Michelle Cutler, 24, crew member
* Private 1st Class Thomas Norman Tucker, 24
* Sergeant Francisco Ocasio, 24
* Staff Sergeant Larry Gene Miller, 24
* First Lieuteant John Scott McCormick, 24
* Staff Sergeant Richard Dean Miller, 24
* Staff Sergeant Ronald Gene Mayhew, 24
* Specialist Michael Shayne Stack, 24
* Army Captain Paul Daniel Long, 24
* Sergeant Christopher Gerard Thornton, 24
* Sergeant Herbert Guy Ivy, 24
* Specialist David Charles Lundgren, 24
* Sergeant Ray Anthony Ruth, 24
* Specialist Herber Richard Deckman, 24
* Sergeant James "Jim Burdette, 24
* Specialist David Chris Staten, 24
* Sergeant Michael Lee Whiteman, 24
* Sergeant Daniel Mark Barber, 24
* Specialist Ricardo "Rick" Guerra, 24
* Sergeant Robert "Bob" Kaplin, 24
* Sergeant Peter Edward Scremp, 25
* Staff Sergeant Donnie Kerry Jennings, 25
* Sergeant Donald Ernest Hobbs, 25
* Sergeant Miguel Angel Cordero, 25
* Specialist Lindale Morgan, 25
* Staff Sergeant Virgil Leon Robertson, 25
* Army Captain Barry Cates Powell, 25
* Staff Sergeant Gary Lynn Givens, 25
* Staff Sergeant Mark Robert Kubic, 25
* Ruth "Ruthie" Phillips, 26, crew member
* Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Farah Karadaheh, 26
* Army Captain Brian Douglas Haller, 26
* Sergeant Brian Lee Dumpert, 26
* First Lieutenant Kip Lynn Stevens, 26
* Staff Sergeant Brian Edward Easley, 26
* Sergeant Robert Shawn Hoyer, 26
* Staff Sergeant Thomas Frederick Parsons, 26
* Staff Sergeant Kevin Michael Witt, 26
* Army Captain John Kevin Kosh, 27
* Staff Sergeant Frank Jeffery Hughes, 27
* Staff Sergeant Vincent Lamar Turner, 27
* Sergeant George Henry Simmons, 27
* Specialist Michael Don Shipley, 27
* Sergeant Roger Dale Arvin, 27
* Private 1st Class Mark Edward Wallace, 27
* Sergeant Ricky Allan Schmoyer, 27
* Sergeant Thomas Lyle Graham, 27
* Army Captain Luis Antonio Avillan, 27
* Staff Sergeant John Morton Millett, 27
* Staff Sergeant Jerry Wayne Malone, 28
* Staff Sergeant Jeffrey "Jeff" Palmisano, 28
* Staff Sergeant Wilbur "Buddy" Roberts, 28
* Specialist Calvin McWhite, 28
* Staff Sergeant Richard Neal Willingham, 28
* Staff Sergeant Emery Samuel White, 28
* Staff Sergeant Danny Clayton Thompson, 28
* Maia Matasovski, 28, crew member
* Staff Sergeant Timothy Linn Kidd, 28
* Staff Sergeant Rayvon LeVoy Johnson, 28
* Staff Sergeant Paul Clayton Hemingway, 28
* Staff Sergeant Thomas "Tom" Davis, 28
* Specialist James Frederick Duckworth, 28
* Army Captain Kyle Lee Edmonds, 28
* Army Captain Tery Lynn Rains, 29
* Sergeant Samuel Theodore Moore, 29
* Army Captain Edward John Manion, 29
* Staff Sergeant James Arnold Davis, 29
* Staff Sergeant Jerry Wayne Holliman, 29
* Staff Sergeant Earl Singleton, 30
* Staff Sergeant James Allen Ferguson, 30
* Chief Warrant Officer Dirk Allan Miller, 30
* Staff Sergeant Darnell Larry Wilburn, 31
* Staff Sergeant Michael Wade Murray, 31
* Sergeant 1st Class Donald Craig Nelson, 31
* Staff Sergeant James Andre Winston, 31
* Staff Sergeant Timothy David Sellner, 31
* Sergeant Theodore Travis, 31
* Sergeant Charles Francis Brancato, 31
* Staff Sergeant Randall Keith Thomas, 31
* Army Captain Joey McCarty, 32
* Staff Sergeant Francisco Cruz-Salgado, 32
* Army Captain Robert Milton King, 32
* Specialist James Michael Spears, 32
* Chief Warrant Officer Earl Collen Stone, 33
* Staff Sergeant Robert Neil Wolford, 33
* Sergeant 1st Class Joseph Anthony Narita, 34
* Sergeant 1st Class Abraham Ward, 34
* Staff Sergeant Lawrence "Larry" Wood, 34
* Army Captain Michael Christopher Eastman, 34
* Staff Sergeant Donald Gray Lineberry, 34
* Staff Sergeant Steven Richard Nelson, 35
* Staff Sergeant Richard Sidney Nichols, 35
* Staff Sergeant William Leonard Wooliver, 36
* Staff Sergeant Steven Allen Andreoff, 36
* Major Michael Robert Lawrence, 36
* Master Sergeant David Lynn Godsey, 36
* Staff Sergeant Thomas James Kirby, 36
* First Sergeant Rex Vaughn Smith, 36
* Staff Sergeant Jessey Truman Reynolds, 37
* Chief Warrant Officer Robert Adrian Bowen, 37
* Jeanne "Jean" Serafin, 37, crew member
* Staff Sergeant Douglas Franklin Grala, 37
* Chief Warrant Officer Benny Joe Hardin, 38
* Staff Sergeant Ronald Wright Sears, 38
* Master Sergeant Thomas "Butch" West, 39
* Army Captain Rudy Parris, 40
* Major Troy Gene Carter, 41
* Lieutenant Col. Marvin "Jeff" Jeffcoat, 42
* Sergeant Thomas Exeter Robinson, 42
* 1st Sergeant Robert Frank McCook, 42
* Joseph "John" Connelly, 45, co-pilot
* Captain John Joseph Griffin, 45
* Command Sergeant Major Haslund "Blackie" Black, 47
* Arthur "Mike" Fowler, 48, flight engineer
* Desiree McKay, 49, crew member