-Caveat Lector- http://www.ohio.com/bj/news/ohio/docs/025192.htm Posted at 5:38 p.m. EST Monday, December 27, 1999 Test signal caused crash of spy aircraft DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- A test signal inadvertently received by the military's Global Hawk unmanned spy plane caused it to crash last March in the California desert, Air Force officials said Monday. The high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft went down 20 minutes after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base on March 29. It was at 41,000 feet when it went nose down in a rolling vertical dive. The Global Hawk program is managed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. The Air Force accident investigation board said the $45 million plane inadvertently received a test signal for flight termination from the test range at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The Air Force said the signal was outside the frequency zone in which the aircraft's mission was being flown and caused it to go into a pre-programmed vertical descent. Maj. Kevin Baron, assistant staff judge advocate at Air Force Materiel Command, said the Global Hawk flew so high that it lost the signal coming from Edwards and began receiving the next strongest signal, that from Nellis. Baron said it was an unusual set of circumstances and no one was to blame. ``There was nothing about the aircraft itself that caused the accident,'' he said. However, Baron also the signal system that was in place before the crash no longer is being used. The Global Hawk is the only high-altitude, long-endurance robot plane being considered for use by the military. There are currently unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in use that operate at lower altitudes. Global Hawks are designed to fly as high as 65,000 feet for as long as 40 hours. The V-tailed aircraft has a 116-foot wingspan and is more than 44 feet long. In battle, the plane would use radar and optical and infrared sensors to provide imagery of a battlefield area to a commander via satellite communications links. Flight testing of the Global Hawk was suspended for six weeks following the crash. Testing was suspended again Dec. 6 after a Global Hawk was damaged when it veered off a runway at Edwards. There are currently four Global Hawks, one of which has not begun the flight testing process. -- ----------------------- NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ----------------------- DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
