A wreath rests at a memorial at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, April 9, 2026, honoring six members of the 76th Airlift Squadron who were killed in a 1996 plane crash in Croatia. The wreath was placed during a ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the tragedy. (Zade Vadnais/Stars and Stripes)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — U.S. airmen at this vast hub for military operations paused this week to mark the 30th anniversary of a plane crash in Croatia that killed six of their own, along with a Cabinet secretary and 28 others.
Dozens gathered at a bronze-and-stone monument Thursday for a wreath-laying ceremony and speeches honoring the victims, who were part of a U.S. trade delegation to Croatia, which had emerged in the wake of the 1991 breakup of Yugoslavia.
Their CT-43A aircraft, callsign IFO-21, crashed into a mountainside during final approach to Dubrovnik Airport on April 3, 1996.
The flight was operated by Ramstein’s 76th Airlift Squadron and carried Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, American business leaders, government staffers and Croatian nationals.
Of the 35 people aboard, all but one were killed instantly. The sole survivor, Tech. Sgt. Shelly Kelly, died later that day from her injuries. A C-21A from the squadron performed a flyover Thursday in their honor.
The crash prompted sweeping reforms across the Air Force that continue to shape flight safety protocols, crew training and risk management.
Speakers at Ramstein reflected on the tragedy, its legacy and the constant perils of military aviation.
“Thirty years is a long time, but the call to serve and the risks inherent in answering that call have not diminished,” said Shannon Murphy, historian for the 86th Airlift Wing.
Last month, six airmen supporting the U.S. mission against Iran were killed when their KC-135 went down in Iraq. The crash is still being investigated, according to U.S. authorities.
“Like the crew of IFO-21, they were not lost to enemy fire but to the unforgiving realities of aviation,” Murphy said.
U.S. and Croatian officials held a separate commemoration on April 1 at a crash memorial near the Dubrovnik airport.
“It’s such an honor to come here today and see that our Croatian partners and the city of Dubrovnik continue to honor the memory of everyone lost that day,” said Lt. Col. Brian Cotter, chief of the U.S. military group in Croatia.
The legacy of the Croatia crash victims endures not just through the memories shared at the two gatherings but also in the military’s ongoing application of the lessons learned.
“The loss of IFO-21 served as a catalyst for significant changes in aviation safety and procedures,” said Col. Nathan Bump, deputy commander of the 86th Airlift Wing. “These changes, written in the blood of those we lost, have saved lives in the years since.”
Stars and Stripes reporter Slobodan Lekic contributed to this article.
