Rockenhausen

U-2 Crash of 17 September 1956 – Assorted Sources

Extract from Die Rhein Platz (Kaiserslautern newspaper) - page 6, Issue Nr 218, dated 18 September 1956 - Courtesy of Simone Winkler via Horst Sperl on 15 April 2005

Rough English Translation

Kaiserslautern: Yesterday a newly-developed jet of the American Lockheed works exploded at a height of about 8000 meters over the little town of Rockenhausen, and then crashed. Parts of the airplane were found in the vicinity of 10 to 15 kilometers outside of the crash point which was in an unpopulated area.

The HQ of the American Air Force in Europe in Wiesbaden announced, it was not an American Air Force plane, but a research aircraft from the American adviser committee for "national aviation questions". The pilot had orders to observe build-ups of clouds and air streams at great height. The cause of the explosion is not yet known. The original acceptance, that a second American jet which was in the explosion area has also fallen, has not been confirmed. The fire brigade from Rockenhausen with foam extinguishers was at the scene before the arrival of a helicopter from Sembach with an Air Rescue team. The efforts of the local rescue team succeeded in rescuing the dead pilot. The Air Force Police behaved quite badly towards the German rescue team. The member of the fire brigade which had rescued the dead pilot previously under mortal danger became a target from the Air Force Police with blows from their rifles. This behaviour has released indignation in all population circles, particularly as already a longer time interval had passed before the first American Rescue Team arrived at the scene of the accident.