Air Force halts training missions

Friday, Dec. 6, 2002 | 9:52 a.m.

Wednesday's mid-air collision of two A-10 jet fighters about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas was apparently the last straw for the Air Force general in charge of air combat.

The collision, which killed one pilot during a training mission, was the latest in a series of Air Force accidents this year. As the investigation into the most recent crash got under way, Gen. Hal M. Hornburg ordered U.S.-based pilots out of the air and back to the classrooms for mandatory training today.

"While getting the job done is essential, we need to focus on getting the job done safely," Hornburg said Thursday. He acknowledged that military personnel were stretched thin as the global war on terrorism continues.

"However, focusing on the basics is every bit as vital in preparation for potential contingencies as it is for maintaining safe flying operations at home," Hornburg said.

Nellis Air Force Base had already suspended combat flight training Thursday, Capt. Kelly Cahalan said.

Today at Nellis, Air Force personnel "are just going to sit down and help people, remind them of what the basics are," Cahalan said. "Sometimes you have to stop for a day and go back to the basics. They will be in briefings for most of the day."

Tankers will still fly and so will transport aircraft, Cahalan said.

It may take three or four months to find the cause of the Thunderbolt crash, Cahalan said. Capt. Eric Palaro, a pilot from the 81st Fighter Squadron based in Spangdahlem, Germany, was killed when the two jets collided over the Nevada Test and Training Range.

Maj. Scott Kniep, an instructor with the Air Force Weapons School A-10 division, ejected from the second fighter and was in good condition.

Ret. Lt. Col. Robert McConnell, a B-52 pilot during the Vietnam war, said it seemed military flights were growing safer.

"Crashes like that happen so infrequently nowadays compared to what it was like 25 years ago," McConnell said. "It wasn't unusual to lose an aircraft. It might be a little bit safer to fly today."

However, McConnell couldn't recall a national stand-down during the Vietnam conflict.

"I did a lot of flying in Vietnam and we couldn't afford a stand-down," he said.

McConnell said he did recall several Air Force stand-downs in the 1990s and agreed that they may sometimes be necessary.

"If they're making stupid mistakes, then stop making stupid mistakes and give them time for reflection," he said.

In mid-November, an Air Force Reserve F-16 crashed in Utah, killing the pilot, and in July an F-117 stealth fighter-bomber pilot accidentally dropped three dummy bombs in New Mexico and Texas. One smashed through the roof of a house. The Air Force later blamed pilot inattention and breakdowns in safety procedures.

As for finding a cause of Wednesday's collision, it could take weeks or months, McConnell said.

"Who knows what caused it?" he said. "They probably will know in two weeks, but it has to go through several boards of investigation for review."

It could be as simple as "a guy wasn't paying attention or a mechanical failure," McConnell said.

Each of the A-10s that crashed Wednesday cost an estimated $9.8 million.

The two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs were flying a training mission as part of the Weapons School Graduation Exercises. The exercise runs through Monday and is designed for advanced pilots to test their skills in mock combat.

The Thunderbolts can fly at 443 miles an hour in combat, according to Jane's Aircraft Upgrades.

The Associated Press

contributed to this story. Hal M. Hornburg