1976 Cavalese cable car crash

The Cavalese cable car crash, also known as Strage del Cermis (lit. 'Cermis massacre'), occurred on 3 February 1998, near the Italian town of Cavalese, a ski resort in the Dolomites some 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Trento. Twenty people were killed when a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft, flying too low and too fast, against regulations, cut a cable supporting a cable car of an aerial lift. The pilot, Captain Richard J. Ashby, and his navigator, Captain Joseph Schweitzer, were put on trial in the United States and found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. Later they were found guilty of obstruction of justice and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman for having destroyed a videotape recorded from the plane, and were dismissed from the Marine Corps. The disaster, and the subsequent acquittal of the pilots, strained relations between the U.S. and Italy.

Cavalese (Cavalés in local dialect) is a comune of 4,004 inhabitants in Trentino, northern Italy, a ski resort and the main center in the Fiemme Valley. It is part of the Magnifica Comunità di Fiemme (Magnificent Community of Fiemme) and, together with Predazzo, is the administrative, cultural and historical center of the valley. The town is a renowned tourist location, during winter for cross-country and alpine skiing, and during summer for excursions. The cable car from Cavalese to the nearby mountain Cermis has been the site of two major cable-car accidents, one in 1976 and one in 1998.

Ville di Fiemme is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Trentino in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It was established on 1 January 2020 with the merger of the municipalities of Carano, Daiano and Varena.

Cermis (Alpe Cermis in italian) is a mountain of the Lagorai group in eastern Trentino, Italy in the comune of Cavalese. Part of the Val di Fiemme-Obereggen, it is famous for its ski slopes. It was the scene of major disasters involving the aerial tramway style cable car system on the mountain: the Cavalese cable car disaster in 1976, and the Cavalese cable car massacre in 1998; the latter occurred when a U.S. military plane, while flying too low against regulations, cut a cable supporting a gondola of an aerial tramway, killing 20 people. The two cable car runs of the system involved in those incidents have since been replaced by three consecutive multi-cabin gondola lifts. The arrival site of the first chair lift, from where the second starts, may be also reached by road.

Tésero (Tiézer in local dialect) is a comune (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located in the Val di Fiemme about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Trento. The municipality of Tesero contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Lago, Stava and Alpe di Pampeago. Tesero borders the following municipalities: Deutschnofen, Predazzo, Panchià, Cavalese, Pieve Tesino and Ville di Fiemme. The 1985 Val di Stava dam collapse killed 268 people in Tesero.

Castello-Molina di Fiemme (Castèl e Molina in local dialect) is a comune (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 35 km (22 mi) northeast of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,172 and an area of 54.5 km2 (21 sq mi). The municipality of Castello-Molina di Fiemme contains the frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets) Predaia and Stramentizzo. Castello-Molina di Fiemme borders the following municipalities: Carano, Cavalese, Altrei, Valfloriana, Pieve Tesino and Telve.

The Cross country and biathlon center Fabio Canàl (in italian: Centro del fondo e del biathlon Fabio Canal), until December 2018 named Lago di Tésero Cross Country Stadium (in italian: Stadio del fondo di Lago di Tesero) is a sport venue located in the village of Lago, in the municipality of Tésero (Fiemme Valley), in Trentino, northern Italy. It will host cross-country skiing and nordic combined for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The Val di Stava Dam collapse occurred on 19 July 1985, when two tailings dams above the village of Stava, near Tesero, Italy, failed. It resulted in one of Italy's worst disasters, killing 268 people, destroying 63 buildings and demolishing eight bridges. The upper dam broke first, leading to the collapse of the lower dam. Around 180,000 cubic metres (6,350,000 ft³) of mud, sand, and water were released into the Rio di Stava valley and toward the village of Stava at a speed of 90 km/h (56 mph). Having crashed through the village, the torrent continued until it reached the Avisio River a further 4.2 km (2.6 mi) away, destroying everything in its path.

The Schwarzhorn (Italian: Corno Nero) is a mountain in South Tyrol, Italy. It belongs to the Fiemme Mountains and is 2,439 m high.

Panchià (Pancià in local dialect) is a comune (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Trento. Panchià borders the following municipalities: Predazzo, Tesero, Ziano di Fiemme and Pieve Tesino.

Cima delle Stellune is a mountain of Trentino, Italy, with an elevation of 2,605 metres (8,547 ft). It is located in the Province of Trento, between the Brenta and Adige drainage basins (to the south-east and north-west, respectively). The peak is a renowned panoramic point as well as a tripoint between the municipalities of Cavalese (to the north), Castello-Molina di Fiemme (to the west), and Pieve Tesino (to the east and south-east). The small Busa snow field is located on the northern side of the Cima delle Stellune (Val Moena), the Stellune lake is located on the western side (Val delle Stue) and the small Buse Basse lakes are on the southern side (Val Sorda). Remnants of World War I trenches can be found on the mountain.

Ziano di Fiemme is a comune (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Trento.