F-104G "6-03" 154°Gruppo of 6°Stormo from Ghedi AB at Bitburg AB, Germany in September 1975

F-104G, construction number 683D-6575, serial number MM6575, model 683-10-19, built by FIAT
delivery date AMI 17.6.1964; 4-19; delivery date 21°Gruppo 11.7.1964, 21-09 21°Gruppo 21.6.1966-14.3.1967; IRAN from 14.3.1967
9-05 9°Stormo 10°Gruppo '67 (?); delivery date from 9°Gruppo to 21°Gruppo 18.3.1969, 53-21 03.1969-24.4.1969; IRAN 24.4.1969-6.3.1970
delivery date 10°Gruppo 6.3.1970, 9-11 6.3.1970-8.3.1973; delivery date 154°Gruppo 8.3.1973, 6-03 04.1973-09.1975
crashed Wenzelberg, Germany 25.9.1975 with 1.740 flight hours.

15 till 25 September 1975 a squadron exchange took place between the USAFE 22 TFS/36 TFW based at Bitburg,
flying the F-4 Phantom and the Italian Air Force 154 Gruppo based at Ghedi flying the F-104G.
The Italians came to Germany with aircraft MM6508/6-19, MM6516/6-07, MM6523/6-18 and MM6575/6-03.
It was a very tragic event since all four Starfighters were lost on their way home on the morning of Thursday September 25th.
It was a day with low clouds and the four Italian F-104G departed Bitburg AB in two-ships homebound for Ghedi.
While trying to follow the SID (which was unsuitable for the aircraft configuration) and simultaneously perform a formation re-join
they hit raising terrain at Wenzelberg, SSW of Bitburg AB. All aircraft were destroyed, the pilots were sadly all killed instantly.

copyright © Helmut Baumann