September 13
The 1997 Namibia Mid-Air Collision
On September 13, 1997, two military planes—one German, one American—collided mid-air over the Atlantic Ocean off Namibia, killing all 33 aboard. The event highlighted dangerous gaps in radar coverage and communication protocols in remote airspace. Miscommunication and technical failures led to the disaster, marking it as one of the deadliest incidents in military aviation.