On July 15, 1996, a tragic event was engraved in the history of Eindhoven. A Hercules aircraft of the Belgian Air Force became entangled in a flock of birds during the flight. This fateful encounter led to the failure of two of the four engines, forcing an emergency landing. However, a series of unfortunate circumstances and a fatal communication failure caused a disaster. The plane crashed at Eindhoven airport, with 34 of the 41 occupants not surviving.
A year after this tragedy, a monument was unveiled in honor of those who lost their lives. This memorial, originally only accessible to relatives, consists of two closed circles, surrounded by 34 memorial columns and a central bronze cross, each symbolizing a victim with a burning light. A path, marked by the scorched grass where the plane crashed, leads to this moving monument at Eindhoven Air Base.
A second public monument, accessible to everyone, is located along the Dommel and takes the shape of the letter H, the first letter of the crashed plane. This memorial, consisting of three metal plates with the engraved names of the victims, is located between the town hall and the van Abbemuseum. It is a place of mourning and remembrance, where families and aid workers come together to remember and comfort.
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