European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. October 23. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 5 near crashes up by 50%, Faa reports Washington a p the number of near collision reports involving i or Wocial aircraft jumped nearly 50 percent during the first nine months of this year according to Federal aviation administration figures. There is disagreement however among aviation safety Esperon the significance of the increase on air safety. The chairman of the National transportation safety Board said the Sharp Rise i n near collisions shows thai trav Elers were exposed to a n increased risk of an Aerial Coll i Sion during the past summer but the head of the Faa called he statistical jump Noi in in Adf very  according i the Faa the Agency received 857 near collision reports from pilots during the first nine months of the year a 37 percent in Arcase Over last year. The number of such reports involving planes carrying Revenue paying passengers increased even More sharply from 258 last year to 383 this year up 48 percent. During the Busy summer months june through August there were 159 near collision reports involving at least one commercial plane an increase of 50 percent Over the summer of 1986, the sharpest in crease 69 percent came in August when there were nearly two such into dams reported a Day Accord ing to the Faa figures. If you look at near midair collisions they continued throughout the summer at very High Levels said Jim Burnett chairman of inc Nosb. He said the Levels represented an increased risk of a collision to air travellers despite efforts by the Faa during inc summer to reduce such risks. Bui Faa administrator Allan Mcartor said that while the increase during inc nine month period com pared in inc same months in 1986, is a matter of con Cern to his Agency he does not consider the figures in themselves very meaningful because actual Colli Sions continue to be extremely rare the statistics of near midair collisions taken by themselves arc not Good indicators of exposure to risk in the National air system Mcartor maintained in a Telephone interview. At the same Lime he Yacknow Legrd we have a very Busy air system. We know thai. We re taking very aggressive action to minimize the exposure to risk. He cited Agency actions already taken or planned to re Duce the mix of commercial and private aircraft and installation of airborne collision avoidance devices in jetliners Over the next few years. The Faa has Cyl to investigate All of the reports and it is not known How Many of the incidents actually posed a Hazard to the aircraft involved. Last year about one found of the reports were found to have been incidents in which there was no actual Hazard. Reviews of 60s of the reports this year showed that in three fourths of the cases the planes came with in 500 feet of each other posing the pole Lial of a collision without evasive action being taken. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. ,. Oct. 23, 1947 members of the French Cabinet handed in their resignations to socialist Premier Paul a Madier who himself did Noi resign. Tar action Fol Lowed Gen. Charles de Gaulle s oct. 19 Victory in municipal elections. 30 years ago today. Oct. 23, 1957 in the two month old trial in Maebashi. Japan of spec. 3 William s. Girard the judge accepted Girard s Story that he did not intend to hit anyone when he fired the shot that killed a Japa Nese woman on an army firing Range. 20 years ago today. Oct. 23. 1967 officials disclosed that the egyptian army fired the most modern soviet sea to sea Type missiles available to sink inc israeli destroyer Elath North of port said two a s earlier. 10 years ago today. Oct. 23. 1977 South african police minister Jimmy Kruger told the new York times in Pretoria that president Carter s holier than thou pressure on South Africa was partly to blame for violence by Blacks there. Ready to Fly Pilot athletes examine inc Daedalus human powered aircraft unveiled tuesday at the Massachusetts Institute of technology. The Light planned this Spring from Crete will recreate inc flight of the mythological hero Daedalus who fashioned wings for him and his son icarus to escape imprisonment on Crete. Reagan raps foreign Aid cuts Washington a president Reagan lashed out at Congress on wednesday for slashing his Rock Bottom request for foreign Aid accusing lawmakers of succumbing to a can to say no stance on Domestic budget priorities. In a speech to leaders of a private organization that lobbies the House and Senate for foreign economic and military assistance programs Reagan complained that h is fiscal 1988 request for such assistance has been Cut to less than s17 billion. He said that for 42 years Mankind has not seen the likes of the world wars thai in the first half of this Century twice Tore civilization  he said this general peace has come because America has been accepted the responsibilities of  taking up an argument that Secretary of slate George p. Shultz has been making frequently in recent months the president said like it or not we arc the Leader of the free world and that is not a role we asked for. It s a role that was thrust upon us by history and by the Hopes of those who aspire to Freedom through out the world. Reagan in his speech to Leaden of the citizens Sci work Lor foreign affairs complained that Congo is. Has shown a decreasing willingness to approve eco nomic and military assistance to other nations. $350,000 loan to Mecham investigated in Arizona Phoenix Ariz. A the stale attorney general is Koking into gov. Evan Mecham s failure to disclose $350,000 loan he received before last fall s election despite a state Law requiring such disclosure a newspaper reported. The Arizona Republic said in a copyright report thai it Learned in documents obtained tuesday that the loan which constituted about 30 percent of Mecham s $1.16 Mil lion Campaign funds came from Barry Wolf son a Tempe Developer and attorney. Becharn Wolfson and several others Are defendants in a civil fraud and racketeering suit filed in August by the state attorney general s office that alleges misuse of $368 million in  Bonds that were to be used to build Low income housing. Gubernatorial press Secretary Ken Smith said he discussed the Mailer with Mecham wednesday. He said there s absolutely nothing wrong with it. I asked h in and he said nothing s wrong with  Weifson said he extended the credit after being told that he would receive promissory notes from people who would be held liable for the loan the Republic reported. Promissory notes for amounts ranging from $1500 to $50,000 were signed by 14 of Mecham s relatives close associates and political advisers and assigned to Wolfson and Mecham wrote letters to the 14 saying he would repay them i f their Money was needed state attorney general Bob Corbin said tuesday thai he was aware of the loan and the promissory notes. We re looking into them further Corbin said but would not elaborate. Wolfson contacted wednesday said i had no idea what the disclosure requirements were. It was never brought  "1 do expect the loan to be repaid Wolfson said. Mecham is facing a recall Campaign organised after he rescinded a stale Holiday honouring the Rev. Man in Luther King or. And made several controversial appointments and Public comments. The Republic said that according to the documents the loan was made after Mecham Agrecio keep it confidential