The Crash

The Crash. Gander Memorial. , On December 12, 1985, Arrow Air Flight 1285, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8 carrying 248 Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and eight flight crew, crashed soon after takeoff from Gander International Airport, Newfoundland, Canada. It was the single worst mass casualty event in the Division's history and had the highest death toll of any plane crash on Canadian soil. An official investigation blamed icy wings as the most likely cause of the crash, but a minority report held that an internal explosion was a more likely cause. Married Soldiers with families had been given priority for seats on the flight in an attempt to reunite them with their families before Christmas. , Photo caption: , Among the first to arrive on the scene that morning were 12 American Service Members. These US Navy Sailors, from a detachment stationed in Gander, helped secure the crash site allowing additional recovery operations to commence. They helped put out the fires, secured the area, searched for survivors, assisted in identification of Soldiers, and honored their fallen countrymen with prayer vigils as the remains were prepared for transport home to their families.