European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 13, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday August 13, 1986 the stars and  Zaat Moi no Riu Inirio Wax rat air Accident rates causing concern services probe crashes of some copters jets Ian Black services have launches by Normaa military Weller Washington the nation s Mili tary is chalking up a Good aviation safely record this year but the statistics mask a High Accident rate for Navy and Marine helicopters and increasing mishaps involving the f-14 Jet fighter. Safely records provided by the scr. Ices also show thai accidents involving two air Force planes the aging f-4 and the front line f-15, Are running ahead oblast year and the army though reporting fewer accidents than a year ago is acknowledging far the first time two serious helicopter accidents in addition the army is investigating a series of engine failures in two of its older helicopter models the oh-6 and oh-58a. The service is trying to deter mine whether the entire Fleet of the Chopyk should be grounded or whether repairs should be performed on the most heavily used of the aircraft. The investigation of the helicopters should be completed sometime this week u. Col Craig Macnab an army Spok Caman Aid monday. The Accident rates reported by the services in 1985 were among the lowest Ever. The year was the Best Ever for the air Force. During 1985, the Navy and Marine corps reported 73 so called class a Acci dents that left 82 people dead. By con Trast with leu than five months left this year the two services have experienced 44 Accident and 32 fatalities. The military defines a class a Acci Dent As one in which Crew members Are killed or aircraft destroyed or suffer $500,000 in damage. The army which keeps its statistics by fiscal year suffered 45 class a Acci dents Between oct. I 1984, and sept. 30,1985, producing 31 fatalities. By con . Army Black Hawk Type combat assault helicopter designed to Danyll Futy equipped american troops can also be used for evacuation troop Rwy pry armament 2 m60 Sta fring Mach Seguna Crew 2-Man flight deck with3d Crew member stationed in Cabin in gunner s position Range 373 mites at maximum Takeoff weight or about 2.3hours a nosing Speed of about 167 Mph some it ill Mhz d my pm l Al 0� of tit Arnot Trast with less than two months left in the current fiscal year the service hat experienced 29 major accidents and 24 fatalities. The air Force has had 38 accidents and 39 fatalities so far this year. Al this Point hut year the air Force was re porting 35 accidents in route to a year s. Total of 53 accidents and 78 fatalities. Because of a two year jump in Acci dents the Navy s aviation safety Center has launched on investigation to try to explain the increase in helicopter crash reports. The Navy and marines since 1977 have averaged about 20 helicopter Acci dents a year. The two services reversed that trend in 1983 and 1984, however Holdick Hopper crashes to 13 and 14, respectively. That favourable trend has come to an abrupt end id 1985, the Navy and marines suffered 22 helicopter accidents. Almost 60 percent of the men killed thai year 45 died in helicopters. So far this year the Navy and marines have lost 13 helicopters and 13 men. The lost copiers Range from cd 46s and ch-53s to has h-2s, h-3s and h-60s. Equally puzzling to the Navy and also the subject of High level review is an increase in Accident involving the f-14. The Navy and marines loss Only two f 14s in All of 1985, but have already loss six this year. A Navy official who spoke Only on condition of anonymity said almost All of those f-14 crashes have been attributed to Pilot error. As a result he said the service d an extensive Les sons teamed educational Campaign among pilots. The air Force meantime has been experiencing a relatively High Accident rate with its aging f-4 fighters for several years. The Vietnam Era fighter gradually being retired suffered 12 class a Acci dents in 1934 and 10 in 1985. So far this year the air Force a lost it. One of the air Force s newest planes however the f-15 Eagle also has seen an increase in accidents from three in 1984 to five last year and six so tar this year. The service Aid it has not detected any trends 10 indicate unusual problems with the plane. As for the army its biggest problem also involves an aging aircraft from the Vietnam War the us i Huey. That chopper is being replaced try the new uh-60 Black Hawk. In fiscal 1985, the army loss 13 us is to class a accidents. With two months left in the current fiscal year the service a lost 12. The army has had a similar experience with the a i cobra gunship six were lost in fiscal 1985 and six have been loss so far this year. The army suffered two accidents this year involving a copter that has not shown up in safety reports both in the course of classified  the service won t say where toe crashes occurred but says there were no fatalities. Both involved oh-6 Obser vation helicopter gunships. That chopper is used by Only one Active army unit task Force 160, based at fort Campbell by. The unit provides Airlift and attack support to Green berets and other special operations units officials suggested the crashes occurred Dur ing classified training exercises. Dod s free travel regulations to states policy changed to promote longer overseas fours by Chuck v1nch  Bureau Washington military person Nel who serve consecutive overseas Tours can now get free transportation to the United Stales for themselves and their families under change in the defense department s joint travel regulations. The changes retroactive to june 19, Are meant to encourage service Meinberg to stay overseas longer reducing the Money Dod pays for moves to and from the United states. The changes apply to Jervie members serving consecutive Tours at the same overseas location or making an official move from one overseas location to an other. Previously service members on consecutive overseas Tours received the free travel benefits Only if one of their two Tours was unaccompanied. Until now family members of military personnel on consecutive overseas Tours have not been eligible for government paid leave travel. Under the new policy All military personnel on consecutive overseas Tours Are eligible for government paid transportation to their Home of record or to anyplace no farther Distant than the Mem Ber s Home of  family members of military personnel on consecutive overseas Tours Are also eligible for the free travel if they Are command sponsored the policy slates. Service members would normally use the Benefit during leave Between Over seas Tours. If military requirements pre vent service members from taking Leav Between Tours they must use the travel Benefit on the first leave of their second tour. If service members Lake leave Between Tours family members Are required 10 accompany them and use their travel Benefit at that time. If the service member can t Lake leave Between Tours family members can use the travel benefits Between Tours without being accompanied by the sponsor or during the sponsor s tint leave during the second tour. Service members and their families who must travel across the United states to reach their new overseas duty location must use the leave travel at that Tim unless deferred leave travel has been specifically authorized. Senate seeks to shield some go benefits from tax by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington the Senate has approved a non binding Resolution seeking to protect certain military benefits from being taxed by the internal Revenue service. Sen. John Warner r-va., said he introduced the Resolution because the tax Reform act of 1984 i vague. That Law permits taxation of fringe benefits for private sector employees but does t address tie tax status of military allowances. In Ray judgment the doubt created by the Uncer Tain legislative intent of the 1984 Law could Lead to the taxation of Many essential benefits which could have a severe Impact on our nation s military personnel Warner said. Warner s Resolution which was approved aug. 6, Calls for exempting the following benefits from Taxa Tion Basic allowances for quarters and subsidence variable homing allowances overseas station allow ances clothing allowances family separation allow ances and death gratuities. Also exempt under the Resolution Are any in kind benefits received by current service members Reti Rees and their families which would include health care and commissary and Exchange privileges. Taxing these benefits would adversely affect the economic Well being of our service members and indicate a lessening of commitment by the Congress in recognizing the unique nature of military service Warner said. Although a Resolution Doc u i a the weight of Law it s an indication that a majority of senators would oppose efforts to tax military benefits and allowances said a Warner aide. The aide said Warner has asked a House Senate conference committee working on major revisions to the . Tax code to include language Prelec Ting Mil itary benefits and allowances in the final version of that Bill