Exhibit of the Month - Nov. '25
04.11.2025
As our exhibit of the month - November 2025, we present to you the wreckage of the American F-4 Phantom, which is on display in the Military History Collection (MGS).
Augustdorf was on the brink of disaster
An example video from the former air force base in Rheine.
What many don't know is that Augustdorf was on the brink of disaster at 11:37 am on August 18, 1982.
On this day, an American F-4 Phantom took off from Spangdahlem Air Base near Bitburg for a training flight. For unexplained reasons — which remained unclear even later — the aircraft crashed in Augustdorf and was completely destroyed. Both pilots ejected safely and escaped with only minor injuries. A nearby house sustained minor damage from debris, but none of the residents were injured.
Soldiers from Panzer Battalion 214 were dispatched to secure the crash site.
Had the F-4 Phantom crashed just 200 meters further north, it would have landed right in the center of the village.
Even today, debris can still be found in the meadow, and we were able to pinpoint the exact location of the crash.
We marked the spot on the map — it was a close call!