The Langenbruck bus crash, occurred on 11 February 1985, when a double-decker bus carrying up to 40 musicians from the Band of the Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG), crashed on an autobahn between Nuremberg and Munich. The fatal crash happened near to the village of Langenbruck, 18 miles (29 kilometres) north of Munich, in what was West Germany (now Germany). Twenty-one of the occupants were killed in the crash, which included the driver and one RAF policeman, the other 19 were RAF bandsmen. Six of the military victims were buried in the cemetery of RAF Wegberg in Germany (Rheindahlen Military Cemetery), whilst the others were repatriated back to the United Kingdom. In terms of lives lost, it was listed as the worst bus crash in West Germany for 20 years.
| Langenbruck bus crash | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Details | |
| Date | 11 February 1985 3:09 pm (local time) |
| Location | Langenbruck |
| Coordinates | 48°38′20″N 11°31′12″E / 48.639°N 11.520°E |
| Country | West Germany |
| Cause | Collision |
| Statistics | |
| Bus | 1 |
| Vehicles | 2 |
| Passengers | 39 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Deaths | 21 |
| Injured | 18 |
Accident
editOn 11 February 1985, a bus carrying members of the Band of the Royal Air Force Germany, crashed on the autobahn south of the town of Ingolstadt, between Nuremberg and Munich.[1] One report described how the bus was engulfed "in a sea of flames", when it crashed into the back of a truck carrying over 9,000 imperial gallons (41,000 litres; 11,000 US gallons) of aviation fuel.[2] The band, which was based at RAF Rheindahlen at the time, had been travelling to an engagement at the Royal Air Force Germany Winter Survival School (RAFGWSS) in Bad Kohlgrub, Bavaria, when the crash occurred, resulting in the deaths of 19 musicians, the coach driver, and one Royal Air Force Policeman.[3][4] Accounts vary, but an official tally detailed that there had been 43 people on the double-decker bus when it crashed.[5][6] The complement of the band was 42 people, and the bus also included the driver and one RAF policeman, however, one of the bandsmen was ill and had to stay behind. Initially, 24 people had survived the crash, some being unable to escape through a lower deck emergency door which had become wedged shut during the collision.[7]
The bus had appeared to crash into the back of the fuel truck at 3:09 pm local time, at Langenbruck, 18 miles (29 kilometres) north of Munich,[8] and 12 miles (19 kilometres) south of the town of Ingolstadt.[5] The fuel truck started leaking its fuel, on what was said to be an icy highway, and when the fuel truck driver realised he was leaking fuel, he slowed down, however, the bus then slipped on the leaking fuel.[6] The driver of the fuel truck managed to move his vehicle some 500 yards (460 metres) away, so that the rest of the fuel would not ignite.[9][10] Witnesses recalled seeing "one man who was burned to the bone all over his upper body", and having to restrain those in shock to prevent them running off down the autobahn.[6] The bodies of those who had died in the crash, were removed on 13 February and returned to RAF Rheindalen. Eighteen had died in the immediate crash, with three more dying in hospital afterwards.[11] Due to the severe nature of the burns on the victims, some of those who had died had to be identified by their dental work.[12] After a short ceremony at RAF Wildenrath, some of the dead were flown to RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire on 19 February, whilst some families opted to have their deceased relatives buried in the cemetery at RAF Wegberg (Rheindahlen Military Cemetery).[13][14] The incident was later stated to be the worst loss of life in a bus crash in West Germany for 20 years. In 1966, 33 people died when their bus crashed on the road between Frankfurt and Cologne.[12]
Inquest
editAn inquest was opened on 16 August 1985 at Swindon, in Wiltshire, which recorded death by misadventure on 14 of the victims. The other seven victims, including the coach driver, were buried in Germany, so were outside the remit of British coroner's inquests and sheriff's inquiries. An inquiry stated that the truck driver was not to blame in any way, and that the coach driver may have lapsed into a micro-sleep, as he appeared to just drive into the rear of the fuel truck. Nineteen of the victims died immediately, with two dying afterwards from inhalation of poisonous fumes.[15][16]
Aftermath
editBy April 1986, the Band of the Royal Air Force Germany was back to full strength and undertaking musical appointments.[17]
The motor industry, and some in the European Parliament, called for flammable liquids not to be transported when roads are icy. Dutch police were given permission to stop foreign drivers with flammable loads entering the Netherlands if the road conditions were bad.[18] The question of the safety of the vehicle was also discussed in Germany, which had many Neoplan double-decker coaches of the type involved in the crash. The plug doors were sealed hydraulically, which led to the doors being hard to open, and the top deck of the bus did not have any emergency exits whatsoever.[19]
References
edit- ^ Hetherington, Alistair, ed. (13 February 1985). "Crash driver may have 'fallen asleep'". No. 58, 698. The Guardian. p. 5. ISSN 0261-3077.
- ^ "18 in RAF Band die in German bus-truck crash". LATimes.com. Los Angeles Times. 12 February 1985. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ "RAF commemorates 1985 traffic collision victims in online ceremony". Forces.net. Forces Network. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "RAF Music Services". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ a b "19 British servicemen die in flaming crash". UPI.com. UPI. 11 February 1985. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Farr, Michael; Tilley, Robert (12 February 1985). "Autobahn bus inferno kills 17 RAF Bandsmen". No. 40, 325. The Daily Telegraph. p. 1. ISSN 0307-1235.
- ^ Coughlin, Con (13 February 1985). "Bomb hero was among victims of RAF Band tragedy". No. 40, 326. The Daily Telegraph. p. 6. ISSN 0307-1235.
- ^ "Death toll at 19 in bus-tanker collision in West Germany". apnews.com. AP NEWS. 12 February 1985. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "18 British musicians burn to death in bus crash". Infoweb.Newsbank.com. 11 February 1985. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "RAF Bandsmen (accident) (Hansard, 12 February 1985)". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ Hetherington, Alistair, ed. (14 February 1985). "Bodies moved". No. 58, 699. The Guardian. p. 6. ISSN 0261-3077.
- ^ a b "Experts from Britain's Royal Air Force opened an internal..." UPI.com. UPI. 12 February 1985. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ Hetherington, Alistair, ed. (16 February 1985). "Crash victims' return to Britain". No. 58, 701. The Guardian. p. 2. ISSN 0261-3077.
- ^ Deedes, Bill, ed. (20 February 1985). "Men of the central band of the RAF form a guard of honour". No. 40, 332. The Daily Telegraph. p. 2. ISSN 0307-1235.
- ^ Barber, Frank (11 August 1985). "The Week Ahead". Infoweb.Newsbank.com. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "Bandsmen tell of 1,000 degrees fireball after autobahn crash that killed 21". Infoweb.Newsbank.com. 17 August 1985. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "Defence School of Music (Hansard, 29 March 1985)". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ Sheriff, Iain, ed. (23 February 1985). "Call for tanker safety". Commercial Motor. Vol. 161, no. 4, 109. London, England: IPC. p. 8. OCLC 271381276.
- ^ Sheriff, Iain, ed. (2 March 1985). "Exit fears follow crash". Commercial Motor. Vol. 161, no. 4, 110. London, England: IPC. p. 6. OCLC 271381276.
