Jackson Hole, WY Military Cargo Plane Crash, Aug 1996

CRASH VICTIMS ARE IDENTIFIED.

9 DIE IN PLANE CARRYING SUPPLIES FOR THE PRESIDENT.

Washington -- A military cargo plane that accompanied President Clinton on his vacation trip to Jackson, Wyo., crashed late Saturday night with nine people on board just after it took off the New York with presidential vehicles and other gear, military officials said.
Officials at the crash site, a steep mountainside in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, said late Sunday that there were no survivors. Eight Air Force crew membrs from Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, and a Secret Service employee were on board the C-130 cargo plane, which was headed to New York City, where President Clinton attended a 50th birthday celebration in his honor last night.
The Air Force and the Secret Service identified the crash victims as:
Air Force Capt. KEVIN EARNEST.
Capt. KIMBERLY JO WIELHOUWER.
2nd Lt. BENJAMIN HALL.
Staff Sgt. MICHAEL SMITH, JR.
Staff Sgt. MICHAEL YORK.
Senior Airman RICKY MERRITT.
Senior Airman BILLY OGSTON.
Airman THOMAS STEVENS.
Secret Service Agent ALDO FRASCOIA, 57, of Washington, D.C.
The cause of the crash is unknown. It occurred about 11:48 p.m. EDT Saturday about 15 miles southeast of Jackson Hole Airport in rugged, remote terrain near the top of Sheep Mountain, known locally as Sleeping Indian Mountain, in the Grand Teton range.
It took rescuers more than three hours on foot and horseback to reach the wreckage early Sunday morning.
Airport officials in Jackson Hole said Sunday they did not know whether the plane was off course because its departure was not tracked on radar.
Clinton left by helicopter from Jackson, where he vacationed last week, several hours before the crash.

Gazette Cedar Rapids Iowa 1996-08-19
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!