Arrow Air Flight 1285

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Gander, Newfoundland
Surnames/tags: military military disasters

Contents 1 Crash 2 Aftermath 3 List of Passengers and Crew 4 Sources 4.1 Notes

Crash

On Thursday, December 12, 1985, a chartered DC-8 crashed shortly after takeoff from Gander, Newfoundland en route to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The aircraft stalled, crashed, and burned about half a mile from the runway, killing all 248 passengers and 8 crew members aboard. The accident was investigated by the Canadian Aviation Safety Board (CASB), which determined the probable cause of the crash was the aircraft's unexpectedly high drag and reduced lift condition, most likely due to ice contamination on the wings' leading edges and upper surfaces, as well as underestimated onboard weight. The dissenting opinion of four members of the CASB stated the crash was possibly caused by "...a fire that broke out on board, possibly due to a detonation in the cargo compartment." ^[1]

The 248 passengers were all members of the United States military, mostly consisting of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army, specifically the 3d Battalion, 502d Infantry. They were returning from the Sinai Peninsula to Fort Campbell, Kentucky for the Christmas holiday via Cologne, Germany and Gander, Newfoundland after completing peacekeeping missions with the Multinational Force and Observers.^[2]

Aftermath

This crash served as a pivot point for the US Army regarding the handling of medical records and deployed troops. Until this time, medical records on soldiers were sent with troops as they deployed and returned. As the records were on board during the disaster, identifying the bodies proved difficult as reliable dental and medical records were incinerated in the fire. Notifying next of kin and returning bodies home took weeks. This incident also solidified the need for the Army to ensure deploying soldiers had their final will in place before deploying. ^[3]

List of Passengers and Crew

List of Passengers and Crew on Arrow Air Flight 1285

Cockpit Crew
Rank	First Name	Last Name
Captain	John Joseph	Griffin
First Officer	Joseph "John" Robert	Connelly
Flight Engineer	Arthur "Mike" Michael	Fowler
Cabin Crew
Rank	First Name	Last Name
Flight Service Manager	Maia	Matasowski
Flight Attendant	Jean E	Serafin
Flight Attendant	Desiree	McKay
Flight Attendant	Ruthie Ann	Phillips
Flight Attendant	Stacey	Cutler
Passengers
Rank	First Name	Last Name
PFC	Mark Edward	Abrams
PFC	Herbert D	Alexander
SSG	Steven Allen	Andreoff
SPC	Danell	Andrews
SP4	Ivan R	Aponte
PVT	Stuart N	Arrowood
SPC	Roger D	Arvin
1LT	Luis A	Avillan
SPC	Bobby L	Banks
SPC	Daniel Mark	Barber
CPL	Eric Joseph	Baumann
PVT	Edward Myron	Beer
SPC	Wyatt David	Benson
PFC	Sammy Dale	Bittle
CSM	Hasland Ora	Black
PFC	Paul J	Bostwick
SGT	John P	Bowen
CW3	Robert	Bowen
SPC	John T, Jr.	Bradley
SP4	Steven John	Bradshaw
PFC	Darwin P	Brady
SGT	Charles F	Brancato
SPC	Tony Lynn	Brasfield
PVT	William R	Brilya
SGT	George Andrew	Britt
PFC	Johnny L	Brown
PFC	Gregory Alan	Buchanan
SGT	James "Jim" Duane	Burdette
PFC	David A	Bury
PVT	Trevor	Campbell
SPC	Gregory Thomas	Carter
SGT	Mark E	Carter
CPT	Troy G	Carter
PVT	Dennis	Cartwright
SPC	Phillip Ray	Caudill
SPC	Garett Richard	Chaddock
SGT	Stephen Rice	Colby
SPC	Bobby Lee	Coleman
SGT	Miguel Angel	Cordero
PFC	Orlando Freeman, Jr.	Council
PFC	Michael Edward	Craig
SPC	Paul Markham	Crawford
SSGT	Francisco	Cruz-Salgado
CPL	Troy Ray	Cupples
SP4	Walter Gene, Jr.	Daniels
SP4	Thomas E	Danielson
SGT	James A	Davis
SPC	Jimmy D, Jr.	Davis
SSG	Thomas E	Davis
SP4	Herbert Richard, Jr.	Deckman
SGT	Joseph Louis, Jr.	DiVentura
SPC	Thomas D	Dixon
SSG	James Frederick	Duckworth
SGT	Brian Lee	Dumpert
SGT	Brian E	Easley
CPT	Michael C	Eastman
CPT	Kyle Lee	Edmonds
SGT	Christopher William	Englebert
SGT	James A	Ferguson
SPC	Mark W	Ferguson
PVT	Kevin F	Fink
SPC	David	Fitch
CPL	Thomas J	Foskey
CPL	Paul K	Fuller
SGT	Kevin A	Gantzer
SPC	Anthony L	Gayton
SPC	Scott Warren	Gerdes
SGT	Gary L	Givens
SFC	David L	Godsey
SPC	Michael J	Gonzalez
PFC	Roberto	Gonzalez
PVT	Joseph W	Goree
SPC	Kelly O	Graham
SPC	Thomas L	Graham
SSGT	Douglas Franklin	Grala
SP4	Christopher Thomas	Gray
PFC	Richardo	Guerra
CPT	Brian D	Haller
PFC	William W, III	Hansen
PVT	Chester Donel	Hardeman
CW3	Benny J	Hardin
PFC	Brian D	Harris
1LT	Robert Bruce Gordon	Hart
PV2	Mark Steven	Hassing
SPC	Reginald Van	Haugsdahl
SPC	David Wayne	Heidecker
SGT	Paul C	Hemingway
PVT	Joe W II	Highfill
PFC	Thomas T	Hileman
SPC	Donald E	Hobbs
PFC	Kevin Scott	Hobbs
SSGT	Jerry Wayne	Holliman
SPC	Robert S	Hoyer
SPC	Charles W	Hughes
SGT	Frank J	Hughes
PFC	Jeffrey Dean	Hull
SGT	Herbert Guy	Ivy
PVT	Adrian D	Jackson
LTC	Marvin Alvis, Jr.	Jeffcoat
SSGT	Donnie K	Jennings
SPC	Todd M	Jennings
PVT	Jerrin A	Johnson
SSGT	Ravon Leroy	Johnson
SGT	Joseph A	Jones
PVT	David A	Jordan
SPC	Robert S	Kaplin
SGT	Abrahim Farah	Karadsheh
SGT	Jeffrey Scott	Kee
SGT	Timothy L	Kidd
SPC	Jerry Joe	King
CPT	Robert Milton	King
SGT	Thomas J	Kirby
PFC	Bruce E	Kiser
1LT	John K, Sr.	Kosh
SGT	Mark R	Kubic
SPC	John M	Kuehn
SPC	Randall A	Lane
MAJ	Michael R	Lawrence
SGT	Donald G	Lineberry
PFC	William M	Lloyd
1LT	Paul D	Long
SPC	David C	Lundgren
SP4	Benjamin Rogers	Lynch
SGT	Paul Aaron	McArdle
1LT	Joey	McCarty
SPC	Christine M	McCleery
1SG	Robert Frank	McCook
2LT	J Scott	McCormick
SPC	Calvin	McWhite
SSG	Jerry W	Malone
CPT	Edward J	Manion
PVT	Thomas L, Jr.	Martin
PFC	Donald Lee	Mathis
SGT	Ronald Gene	Mayhew
CW2	Dirk A	Miller
SGT	Larry G	Miller
SSG	Richard Dean	Miller
SPC	Timothy E	Miller
SSG	John Morton	Millett
SGT	James A	Mollet
SGT	Samuel T, Jr.	Moore
PFC	Lindale	Morgan
SGT	Steven Wayne	Mullins
SSG	Michael Wade	Murray
SGT	Michael Andrew	Napier
SFC	Joseph A	Nartia
SFC	Donald Craig	Nelson
PVT	Kenneth J	Nelson
SSG	Steven R	Nelson
SSGT	Richard S	Nichols
CPL	Michael Thomas	Nolan
SGT	Francisco, Jr.	Ocasio
PFC	Robert L	Olson
PVT	Gregory A	Owens
SPC	Gary W	Padgett
PFC	Theodore L	Pafford
SGT	Jeffrey R	Palmisano
CPT	Rudy	Parris
SGT	Thomas F	Parsons
PVT	Vickie S	Perry
SPC	Terry R	Pevey
PVT	Alvin	Phillips
SGT	James D, Jr.	Phillips
1LT	Barry C	Powell
SPC	Raimo K	Puntanen
SPC	Michael R	Rahr
CAPT	Terry L	Rains
PFC	David L, Jr.	Rawls
PFC	Patrick S	Reasbeck
PVT	Melvin W, Jr.	Reed
SSG	Jessey T	Reynolds
PFC	Gregory William	Richardson
PFC	Richard D	Rimiller
SPC	Bobby E	Roberts
SSG	Wilbur "Buddy" Grant, Jr.	Roberts
SGT	Vergil L, Jr.	Robertson
SGT	Thomas E, Jr.	Robinson
PFC	Ronald C	Russell
SPC	Ray A	Ruth
CSPC	Ricky A	Schmoyer
SGT	Peter Edward	Schremp
CPL	Keith Mitchell	Schultz
SPC	Gary L	Scott
SP4	Blanchard Thomas	Searcy
SSG	Ronald W	Sears
PFC	Frederic C	Seitz
SSG	Timothy D	Sellner
PVT	Ernest W	Serna
SPC	Michael D	Shipley
PFC	James E	Shook
SPC	Carl N	Simmons
SPC	George H	Simmons
SSGT	Earl	Singleton
SPC	Matthew S	Sloan
PVT	Clinton D	Smith
SFC	Rex V	Smith
SGT	John Scott	Smith
SPC	Thomas Vernon	Smith
PVT	Mark	Spearman
SPC	James M	Spears
SPC	Michael S	Stack
PFC	David C	Staten
PFC	Alexander W	Stearn
SGT	Dane P	Stephens
1LT	Kip Lynn	Stevens
SGT	Randy Sam	Stewart
CW2	Earl Collen, Sr.	Stone
PFC	Gary L, Jr.	Straub
SPC	Richard	Stringer
PFC	Scott A	Stritch
SSGT	Randall Keith	Thomas
SPC	Robert F	Thomas
SGT	Danny C	Thompson
SP4	Scott B	Thompson
SGT	Christopher Gerard	Thornton
SGT	Theodore	Travis
PFC	Thomas N	Tucker
SSG	Vincent L	Turner
CPL	Steven Craig	Venneri
CPL	Wayne	Vinson
SPC	Gregory	Walker
SPC	Guy W	Walker
PFC	Brian E	Wallace
PFC	Mark Edward	Wallace
SFC	Abraham	Ward
MSG	Thomas "Butch" Edward	West
PFC	John C	Wester
SGT	Frankie Charles, Jr.	Wheeler
SSG	Emery Samuel, III	White
SGT	Michael Lee	Whiteman
SSGT	Darnell Larry	Wilburn
PVT	Franklin R	Wilkins
SPC	Rodger Louis	Wilson
SGT	James "Jim" Harold	Williamson
SSG	Richard Neal	Willingham
SSG	James Andre	Winston
SGT	Theodore Melvin	Wisson
1LT	John Bruce	Witmer
SSG	Kevin Michael	Witt
SGT	Robert Neil, II	Wolford
SSG	Lawrence Allen	Wood
SSG	William Leonard	Wooliver
SGT	Virginia "Jenny" Ruth	Word
CPL	John Richard	Wright
CPL	Robert, Jr.	Wyn
SP4	Cary Todd	Yeargan
SP4	Cathleen M	Ziegler

Sources

1. ↑ Aviation Occurrence Report 85-H50902
2. ↑ Arrow Air Flight 1285
3. ↑ Vowell, M. Fatal Gander Crash

• "Aviation Occurrence Report 85-H50902", Arrow Air Inc. Douglas DC-8-63 N950JW, Gander International Airport, Newfoundland, 12 December 1985" (PDF). Canadian Aviation Safety
• Vowell, Michele. "Fatal Gander Crash: 1985 tragedy impacts Fort Campbell, Army-wide procedures to present day," Fort Cambell Courier (Fort Campbell, KY). August 9, 2012. Accessed September 6, 2018. Online Archive
• Arrow Air Flight 1285
• "Victims of the Airline Crash in Newfoundland," The New York Times (New York, NY), p. 4. December 14, 1985. Accessed September 6, 2018. Online Archive

See Also:

• "Airline Confirms Jet had Problems Before Crash." The New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 21. December 15, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• "Soldiers on Chartered Jet that Crashed at Gander." The New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 22. December 15, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• "Travel By Air Brought Prosperity to Gander." The New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 22. December 15, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• "U.S. Autopsies Set for Crash Victims." The New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 23 December 15, 1985. Online Archive.
• "A Homecoming Turns Into Tragedy." The New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 178. December 15, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• Zambrano, Mark, and Lisa L. Frazier. "In Illinois, Services Held for 8 Soldiers." Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL), December 16, 1985. Accessed June 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• Holusha, John. "Town Gathers In Mourning Soldiers Lost in Plane Crash" The New York Times (New York City, NY). p. 38, December 16, 1985 Online Archive.
• Clines, Francis X, "'Love is Never Lost,' Reagan Tells Crash Victims' Grieving Families." The New York Times (New York City, NY). pp 1, 36. December 17, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• Witkin, Richard, "Engine Reversal A Theory in Crash." The New York Times (New York City, NY). Pp 1, 36 December 17, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• Barron, James, "Thousands Pay Tribute To Soldiers Killed in Jet." New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 8, December 21, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• Witkin, Richard, "Plane in Gander Crash Was in 3 Earlier Incidents." The New York Times (New York City, NY). p. 8. December 21, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• Martin, Douglas, "Force of Jetliner Crash at Gander Complicates Investigators’ Work." The New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 38. December 16, 1985. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• "Another Body Found At Gander Crash Site." The New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 4. January 18, 1986. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• "Error on Arrow Jet’s Weight." The New York Times (New York City, NY), p. 2. February 15, 1986. Accessed August 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• McClure, Maria Rice. "Journey of Healing: Anniversary of Tragedy Brings Soldiers, Families Solace." U.S. Army. December 17, 2015. Accessed June 04, 2019. Online Archive.
• Busch, Fritz, "Gander air disaster nears 32nd anniversary: Newfoundland plane crash fatalities include Sleepy Eye soldier" The Journal (New Ulm, Minnesota), Online. December 10, 2017. Accessed September 16, 2019. Online Archive

Notes

1. Many of the servicemember's ranks are reported inconsistently. I have chosen to use the rank listed on the headstone as a standard, if available.
2. This is an ongoing project to add and connect, as far as possible, the above service members. Please feel free to add, edit, and help out.

Current completion:

5/8 Crew (62.50%)

110/248 Servicemembers (44.35%)

115/256 Total (44.92%)