The site includes one memorial marking the location of the first aircraft crash during the 1948-1949 Berlin Airlift Operation (Berliner Luftbrücke). 

The memorial is a pile of rocks about 4 feet high with 2 engraved plaques capped with a wooden cross. 

On July 8, 1948 C-47 (43-48256) piloted by First Lieutenants George Smith and Leland Williams with passenger Karl Hagen crashed on the Steinkopf Hill while taking off from the Wiesbaden-Erbenheim airport at about 23:30.  The plane was loaded with supplies for the inhabitants of Berlin and didn’t gain enough altitude after taking off and crashed into the hill;  this crash represents the first fatalities associated with the Berlin Airlift (Berliner Luftbrücke)  

The pile of stones on the Steinkopf (570m) marks the location of the crash.  Both Smith and Williams were veterans of WW2 and Hagen a US DoD civilian employed as a photographer.

31 Americans and 40 Britons lost their lives during the Berlin Airlift. And the accident at Steinkopf was the first  of this great relief operation for Berlin.

Killed in this incident:

1st Lt George B. Smith of Tuscaloosa, Alabama

1st Lt Leand V. Williams of Abilene, Texas

Mr. Karl v. Hagen, of New York City

This memorial was dedicated in 2016 with the participation one of the most famous Berlin Airlift pilots, Gail Halvorsen.  Colonel Gail Seymour "Hal" Halvorsen (born October 10, 1920) is a retired officer andpilot in the United States Air Force. He is best known as the "Berlin Candy Bomber" or "Uncle Wiggly Wings" and gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin Airlift from 1948 to 1949.

The crew is also remembered at the Wiesbaden Berlin Airlift Memorial and 1LT Leland Williams is remembered at the Erding, LT Williams Memorial.  See this website for more information on these other memorials and other sites remembering the Berlin Airlift.

Special thanks to the B-17 Museum in Utzenstrorf, Switzerland for the photos of this memorial and for information concerning this monument.  

The text on the engraved portion of the marker reads:

1LT GEORGE B. SMITH

1LT LELAND WILLIAMS

KARL v. HAGEN

8 JULY 1948

Text on the second plaque reads:

STEINKOPF