941. Date: January 28, 1998
Victim: President Bill Clinton
Location: Champaign, Illinois
Details: When Air Force One (AF-1) got stuck in the mud while preparing to take off, Clinton had to transfer to a backup plane. The incident occurred just hours after AF-1 and a commercial U.S. Airways Boeing 737 passed each other at less than the required three-mile horizontal separation. The FAA investigated the "near miss" report after AF-1 took off from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
942. Date: January 28, 1998
Victim: Defense Minister Firmin Sinzoyiheba
Location: Bujumbura, Burundi
Details: While en route to peace talks, Sinzoyiheba's helicopter crashed, killing him, his bodyguard, his personal secretary, a general, and the pilot. They were flying through a thunderstorm at the time.
943. Date: February 3, 1998
Victim: Governor Mel Carnahan
Location: Jefferson City, Missouri
Details: A 300-pound chunk of carved limestone fell off the Capitol Building and crashed outside Carnahan's office. There were no injuries.
944. Date: April 1, 1998
Victim: Diplomat Lawrence Pickup
Location: Siem Reap, Cambodia
Details: An overloaded, Soviet-built MI-8 helicopter was flying Pickup and 43 others on a diplomatic mission. The pilot lost control in strong winds while landing and came down in a minefield, setting off two land mines. Three were injured. A second helicopter was used to fly them to a hospital.
945. Date: June 26, 1998
Victim: U.N. Envoy Alioune Blondin Beye
Location: Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Details: A small, chartered Beechcraft plane, carrying Beye and six others, crashed, killing all on board. The plane crashed in a swamp while approaching the airport.
946. Date: July 3, 1998
Victim: President Bill Clinton
Location: Hong Kong, China
Details: The elevator carrying Clinton, his wife, and their Secret Service agents, broke down. They were trapped for ten minutes until other agents could rescue them. The incident was likely the result of a lightning strike during a thunderstorm.
947. Date: July 13, 1998
Victim: Chelsea Clinton (daughter of President Clinton)
Location: Washington, D.C.
Details: A camera battery exploded just a few feet from Clinton, causing her Secret Service agents to react quickly. Smoke poured from the cameraman's battery belt. She was attending a ceremony at the Smithsonian Museum with her parents.
948. Date: September 21, 1998
Victim: Japanese Defense Minister Fukushiro Nukaga
Location: Arlington, Virginia
Details: An anti-terrorism barricade accidentally popped up out of the ground as Nukaga's limousine was entering the Pentagon grounds. His car struck it head-on, lifting it in the air. Nukaga and five others in the car were injured and taken to the hospital. An inadvertent radio transmission may have triggered the device.
949. Date: September 28, 1998
Victim: Prime Minister Carlos Veiga
Location: West African Archipelago
Details: Veiga's Twin Otter plane crashed while landing during a storm. Among the 20 passengers, Veiga and several others were injured, and at least one bodyguard was killed.
950. Date: November 13, 1998
Victim: Vice President Zubair Mohamed Saleh
Location: Sudan
Details: Saleh and several other military and political leaders died when their Russian-made transport plane skidded off the runway and fell into a river on landing in the southern part of Sudan. No one has been able to say why the plane crashed.
951. Date: May 15, 1999
Victim: President Bill Clinton
Location: Los Angeles, California
Details: Air Force One (AF-1) was preparing to land when a small commuter plane approached close enough to cause the AF-1 pilot to quickly ascend 400 feet and turn left to avoid coming too close. The planes never violated the 1000-foot vertical separation requirement.
952. Date: June 19, 1999
Victim: Author Stephen King
Location: Lovell, Maine
Details: King was walking along a highway when a man in a van veered off the road and struck him. King underwent several operations for broken bones in his right hip and leg. The driver of the van pleaded guilty to charges of reckless driving. (Some months later, King bought the 1985 Dodge Caravan that hit him for $1500).
953. Date: July 16, 1999
Victim: Magazine Publisher John F. Kennedy Jr.
Location: Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
Details: Kennedy, the pilot, departed from Fairfield, New Jersey in his Piper Saratoga airplane with his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister, Lauren Bessette. He planned to drop off his sister-in-law on the island, and then continue on to his cousin's wedding in Hyannis Port. He apparently became disoriented and crashed into the sea, killing all on board.
954. Date: August 28, 1999
Victim: Cabinet Minister Radovan Stojkovski
Location: Skopje, Macedonia
Details: Stojkovski, and his wife and daughter, were killed when their car collided head-on with an armored vehicle driven by NATO peacekeepers.
955. Date: September 15, 1999
Victim: Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis
Location: Bucharest, Romania
Details: Kranidiotis was reportedly standing in the aisle of his Falcon jet, briefing reporters, when the plane flew into severe turbulence, plummeting from 23,000 to 4,000 feet in less than five minutes. Kranidiotis, his bodyguard, his son, two journalists, and the flight engineer were all killed. The plane safely landed in Bucharest.
956. Date: October 3, 1999
Victim: Opposition Leader Vuk Draskovic
Location: Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Details: Draskovic was riding in a convoy of vehicles with his wife and a prominent group of party members when a truck traveling in the opposite direction hit two of the three vehicles. Four people were killed, including an aide and three bodyguards. The truck driver escaped, and Draskovic claimed it was an assassination attempt.
957. Date: October 25, 1999
Victim: Professional Golfer Payne Stewart
Location: South Dakota
Details: Stewart's Learjet 35 departed Orlando, Florida, en route to Dallas, where Stewart was to participate in the PGA Tour Championship. Approximately 40 minutes after takeoff, the plane mysteriously went silent with no communication from the two pilots on board. Some 1,500 miles after the doomed journey began, the jet slammed into a South Dakota field, killing Stewart and five others. Their deaths were blamed on lack of oxygen after the plane lost cabin pressure. Learjet was later cleared in a $200 million lawsuit, blaming poor maintenance by the flight company.
958. Date: November 1, 1999
Victim: Governor George W. Bush
Location: Austin, Texas
Details: A truck pulling a trailer overturned, dumping chunks of concrete and wood debris across a jogging path. Bush, the Republican presidential candidate front-runner, sustained minor injuries to his right leg and hip when he dived to avoid the debris. He was treated at the scene and later traveled to New Hampshire for a scheduled campaign event. Staff Sergeant Roscoe Hughey, the Texas Department of Public Safety agent who was accompanying Bush on a bicycle, received bruises to his left side, was treated at the Brackenridge Hospital emergency room, and was released about four hours later. Bush reportedly used Hughey's cellular telephone to call DPS officials at the Governor's Mansion, and they called 911.
959. Date: October 16, 2000
Victim: Governor Mel Carnahan
Location: Goldman, Missouri
Details: Carnahan was flying in a Cessna 335 airplane to a campaign rally with his son and a staff member. The plane was flying through stormy weather and flew into the ground, killing everyone on board. Faulty instruments were blamed
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960. Date: January 12, 2001
Victim: Former President Ronald Reagan
Location: Bel Air, California
Details: Reagan fell and broke his hip while at his home. He was taken by ambulance to St. John's Health Center, and underwent surgery on the following day to install a pin.
961. Date: January 17, 2001
Victim: Governor Gary Johnson
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Details: Johnson slipped and fell on ice while running at 5 a.m. near his home, suffering compression fractures in his upper spine. He had to spend a few days in the hospital. An avid triathlon competitor and an expert skier, Johnson underwent surgery in 1996 after detaching a knee ligament in a ski accident.
962. Date: April 4, 2001
Victim: Deputy Defense Minister Ibrahim Shamsul-Din
Location: Adaril, Sudan
Details: A Russian-made Antonov plane crashed on takeoff in bad weather, killing Shamsul-Din and 13 other high-ranking officers. Sixteen others survived the crash.
963. Date: May 1, 2001
Victim: Governor Gary Locke and members of Legislature
Location: Olympia, Washington
Details: A powerful earthquake shook the Capitol Building and Governor's Mansion, causing plaster to fall and windows to break. Locke was about to leave the capitol for an event at the Space Needle when the quake struck, causing him and his staff to crawl under tables. Locke, his wife, and two children were forced out of the mansion and spent the night at another location. The most visible damage was a large vertical crack to a pillar supporting the capitol dome.
964. Date: May 17, 2001
Victim: Transport Minister Rahman Dadman and seven Parliament members
Location: Gorgan, Iran
Details: A Russian-built YAK-40 aircraft, carrying Dadman, seven Parliament members, and 24 others, crashed in bad weather, killing everyone on board. They were en route to inaugurate the new airport in Gorgan.
965. Date: May 21, 2001
Victim: President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Location: Manila, Philippines
Details: The armored limousine carrying Arroyo broke down in the driveway of a hospital as she was being driven to visit a sick friend, causing a huge traffic jam. She made the visit and then rode back to the presidential palace in a back-up vehicle.
966. Date: August 3, 2001
Victim: Prince Charles
Location: England
Details: Charles was playing polo at a charity match when he fell from his horse and lost consciousness. He was taken by ambulance to Cirencester Hospital as a precaution, and later transferred to nearby Cheltenham Hospital, where he spent the night. He had suffered numerous injuries while playing polo in the past: Two fractures in his right arm in June 1990; an aggravated previous back injury in 1993; a broken rib in January 1998; and a broken bone in his shoulder in January 2001.
967. Date: August 25, 2001
Victim: Singer/actress Aaliyah
Location: Marsh Harbour, Bahamas
Details: The twin-engine Cessna aircraft, carrying Aaliyah and eight others, crashed on take-off killing everyone on board. Reportedly, the plane had been overloaded with luggage. She had been on the island shooting a music video.
968. Date: May 10, 2002
Victim: German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder
Location: Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Details: Lightening triggered the anti-missile device on the military plane flying Schroeder, releasing stannic stripes and phosphorescent balls. Later, reports that his plane had been locked by hostile radar were denied.
969. Date: May 31, 2002
Victim: President Vladimir Putin
Location: Moscow, Russia
Details: A police car, driving lead for Putin's motorcade, crashed into a civilian's car, killing the civilian driver. The rest of the motorcade continued on. Typically, before Putin's motorcade would drive through Moscow, traffic police closed the streets to traffic. Police cars preceded the motorcade at high speed, to clear the way while escorting Putin's Mercedes Pullman.
970. Date: June 2, 2002
Victim: Queen Elizabeth II
Location: London, England
Details: A fire broke out in Buckingham Palace forcing officials to evacuate the palace. No members of the royal family were present and fire brigades quickly extinguished the fire.
971. Date: August 2, 2002
Victim: Presidential Candidate Anthony Garotinho
Location: Rio de Janiero, Brazil
Details: Garotinho was speaking to a crowd of about 10,000 in Cinelandia Square when the wooden platform gave way, injuring 18. He fell six feet and was taken to a hospital along with his wife. About 150 people were on the stage.
972. Date: October 25, 2002
Victim: Senator Paul Wellstone
Location: Eveleth, Minnesota
Details: The twin-engine King Air A-100 aircraft, carrying Wellstone, his wife, daughter, three staff members, and two pilots, crashed in a freezing rain and snow storm, killing everyone on board. He was campaigning for re-election.
973. Date: July 4, 2003
Victim: Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Details: At a dedication ceremony, O'Connor was nearly struck when a large piece of wood and steel frame collapsed. Mayor John Street and Senator Arlen Specter were both struck on the arm, and others were also hit. Three were injured, but none seriously.
974. Date: July 6, 2003
Victim: Governor Bob Holden
Location: Osage County, Missouri
Details: Holden was riding in a cart being pulled by an all-terrain vehicle when he fell out and hit his head, suffering a concussion. His security detail took him to the University of Missouri Medical Center, where he was treated and released.
975. Date: July 30, 2003
Victim: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Details: Erdogan was attending a ceremony to mark the inauguration of a public park. He decided to ride a horse in a corral for publicity, but whenever he approached the animal it began bucking. As horse handlers held the animal, Erdogan mounted it. It suddenly broke loose, throwing Erdogan to the ground and then trampling him. Security men scrambled to pull Erdogan to his feet and check his well-being. He was uninjured.
976. Date: March 24, 2004
Victim: Prince Charles
Location: London, England
Details: A Royal Air Force plane carrying Charles was involved in a "near miss" incident with a passenger jet. Both jets were flying at about 11,500 feet, and came within 3.1 nautical miles apart horizontally and 900 feet apart vertically. Both planes took evasive action to avoid a collision.
977. Date: May 22, 2004
Victim: President George W. Bush
Location: Crawford, Texas
Details: Bush suffered cuts and bruises on his chin, upper lip, nose, right hand, and both knees when he fell off his mountain bike. He was on the sixteenth mile of a 17-mile ride. Secret Service agents offered to give him a ride back to his ranch, but Bush declined and finished his ride.
978. Date: August 7, 2004
Victim: Vice President Dick Cheney
Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
Details: A collision-avoidance alarm sounded aboard Cheney's Gulfstream jet, designated Air Force Two. The pilot climbed to avoid the other aircraft. The two planes came within 0.44 miles horizontally and 700 feet vertically.
979. Date: October 20, 2004
Victim: President Fidel Castro
Location: Havana, Cuba
Details: After making a televised speech, Castro tripped as he was leaving the stage. He fell and was quickly surrounded by security guards. He was rushed to a hospital where tests showed he had broken his left knee and upper right arm. He underwent three hours of surgery the following day to repair the knee.
980. Date: October 29, 2
004
Victim: Vice Presidential Candidate (Senator) John Edwards
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Details: A camera battery caught part of Edwards' plane on fire shortly after takeoff at 10 p.m. The battery, in a still photographer's camera, caught part of a seat on the plane on fire. The plane then circled around and as a security precaution landed back at RDU International Airport. Crews repaired the problem and the plane took off again around 11:30 p.m. No one was hurt in the incident.
981. Date: February 3, 2005
Victim: Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and Deputy Governor Raul Usupov
Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
Details: Zhvania's bodyguard, worried by the prime minister's failure to answer his telephone, broke into the apartment at 5:00 a.m. and found the prime minister and his friend dead from asphyxiation. An Iranian-made gas heater had been installed in the apartment two days before. About 80 people have died of asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning and gas leaks in Georgia over the past four years.
982. Date: June 29, 2005
Victim: President George W. Bush
Location: Washington, D.C.
Details: The White House briefly went to red alert when a plane entered restricted airspace around Washington. Bush was hurried from his residence to a safer location and lawmakers were ordered to evacuate the Capitol. Two fighters intercepted the twin-engine, propeller-driven plane eight miles northeast of the Capitol and escorted it to Winchester, Virginia. On May 11, a Cessna violated restricted airspace and also sent lawmakers and other government workers scrambling from the Capitol, the White House and other federal buildings. That plane also was escorted to Frederick.
983. Date: July 5, 2005
Victim: President George W. Bush
Location: Gleneagles, Scotland
Details: Bush collided with a local police officer and fell during a bike ride on the grounds of the Gleneagles golf resort while attending a meeting of world leaders. Bush suffered "mild to moderate" scrapes on his hands and arms that required bandages by White House physician Richard Tubb. The accident occurred on asphalt. It was raining lightly at the time, and Bush was wearing a helmet. Police said the officer suffered a "very minor" ankle injury. The presidential bike suffered some damage, so Bush rode back to the hotel in a Secret Service vehicle. The fall did not affect the president's schedule.
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