European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday november 11, 1988 maybe too much the Moroun behind hat big glistening fish b nun Barman owner of enough is enough an imaginative service in Nowlon maw that helps people get re Tenor on anybody eke for whatever reason. The smelly fish is about to be transferred to a waiting truck far delivery to a target of creative Aldridge resigning of Post for defense firm Job the stars and stripes Page 3 bibs grounded temporarily in Wake of crash b Norman r1.acka p military writer Washington the a if Force wednesday temporarily grounded the nation s bib Long Range bomb ers Tor a safety inspection following a crash of one of the planes in Texas. The strategic air come which is responsible for theland based nuclear bomber and missile forces said the order was a Normal precaution in the Wake of a major Accident. The flight suspension order will be followed within24 in 4g by specific instructions to bib mechanics on what aircraft systems they must inspect. Said it. Col George h. Peck a Sac spokesman. Those instructions probably will reflect the suspicions of the official Board of inquiry investigating tuesday s crash of a do b near Dyess fab Texas. Peck a spokesman at Sac Headquarters in Omaha,neb., said he did no know which systems would be checked and declined to speculate on inc cause of the crash. But he inspection is expected to require two to four hours per aircraft he said. This is a one Lime special inspection.". Eyewitnesses to tuesday s crash have said they saw smoke and ire trailing an engine on the plane. All four crewmen ejected safely from the stricken bomber which then crashed in a Field oils id Abilene. The Headquarters of Sac has ordered a one time safely inspection As a Normal precaution Peck inc inspection is completed the aircraft will return to flying spokesman said the flight suspension order would not affect inc i i s current standing Alert under which in is ready for immediate Takeoff in the event of nuclear War. B Norman Blackcap military writer Washington air Force Secre tary Edward c. Peic Aldridge or. Announced his resignation on wednesday saying he would step Down in december to assume a Job in private Industry. Aldridge so who has been praised widely for his work in helping the air Force recover from the space Stulll challenger disaster said that he had accepted an offer to become the president or a newly created subsidiary of the me Donneil Douglas corp., a major space and military contractor. President elect George Bush has prom ised to bring a new team of officials in to his administration and. According to defense sources there never has been any doubt that the top Civi Taa jobs heading the air Force Navy and army would change hands. Aldridge a native of Houston who grew up in shr depart la., said he would depart his Job dec. 16. Air Force undersecretary James Mcgovern will assume the duties on a temporary basis the Pentagon said. In his idler of resignation to president Reagan Aldridge thanked Reagan for providing him with the most rewarding experience of my career adding that the administration had built what is undoubtedly the greatest air Force in Aldridge said he would remain in the Washington area to assume inc presidency of the Mcdonnell Douglas electronic systems Douglas headquartered inst. Louis is inc nation s largest defense contractor i announced just a week ago plans to split its third largest unit the Mcdonnell Douglas astronautics co., into three new companies. Besides the electronic systems co., the other companies created were the Mcdonnell Douglas space systems the Mcdonnell Douglas missile sys tems co. The subsidiary hat Aldridge will head is responsible for the company s electronics work and command control communications and in Coli Gynce systems businesses. Aldridge who has served in the Rea Gan administration for tji years and As the Secretary of the air Force since the summer of 1986, held a number of management posts with Mcdonnell Douglas in the 1960s. An aeronautical Engineer by training he also has held private Industry jobs with Ltd aerospace corp and systems planning corp. Aldridge worked in a number of Penta gon posts in the 1970s, serving at one Point As an adviser to he strategic arms limitation talks in Helsinki and Vienna. His tenure As air Force Secretary has been marked by a largely successful Effort to rebuild inc service s unmanned space program and to handle nagging complaints about the service s manage ment Ohlheb a b bomber program. Aldridge insisted and Congress ultimately agreed inc air Force had to Start building new unmanned rockets Loe sure Access to space in the Wake of the challenger tragedy. V while Al Dodge and air Force bras maintain he bib is the Best Long Range bomber in the world the general accounting office has criticized the serv ice s management of the program. The Gao maintains the bomber May never meet contract specifications for radar jamming capability and is frequently grounded formal Nic Nance. Re p q it that n Ato p i a be d b wed a i r i i n e r probed Rome a Premier Ciriaco de Miia on wednes Day ordered a government investigation of the crash of an italian Airliner in 1980, following reports on slate Telvi. Sign alleging that the dc-9 was accidentally downed by a missile fired by a warplane from a nato country. A defense minister rejected reports hat an italian fight or Jet May have shot Down the plane. The Airliner on a night from Bologna to Palermo Sicily plunged into the tyrrhenian sen which lies Between Italy and the islands of Sardinia Corsica and Sicily on june 27, 1980. All �1people killed. ,. According to he television reports the Domestic jetliner was hit by a heat seeking sidewinder missile fired at a Remote controlled drone aircraft thai went Asira during an exercise defense minister Valerio Marionc Lold reporters from the data i gathered it turns out hat the italian armed Forchi Coutu not have caused the disaster a Cabinet communique said the government con firms its full Ruil in the loyalty and sense of duly of inc armed said the Cabinet accepted Zanone s proposal to study elements already gathered and those further obtainable in the International Zanone said the investigation should look into every useful Csc men of International character beyond the competence of the defense asked whether he was suggesting thai other nations operating in the Mediterranean a / be o blame a none noted denials by other countries and that information collected by italian authorities is not in con Trail with the Content of Host declarations asked Why he ruled out italian air Force Crspo Sibli to Zanone said he had examined records on radar information flights plans missiles and drones. Zanon declined to respond directly to the charge raised in inc to documentary saying he would do so in parliament. The television reports alleged that there was an air Force cover up. Air Force officials have denied the charges. The Case is already being investigated by Rome magistrate Vittorio Bucana Ali. The Cabinet said the new probe would not interfere with his investigation. The reports said a drone Remote con. Trolled aircraft was launched from a plane that look off from a air base in Sardinia. The drone strayed East and at least one fighter Jet gave Chase the report said. The tighter a few Miles away fired a missile thai struck the Airliner the to report said. " the report said that the wings of the drone were recovered in the zone a few Days later and that the italian insignia was wiped of Flo hide responsibility. News reports have said that radar tapes which should have been Able to record the incident Are mysteriously missing several minutes beginning just seconds before the crash. Zanone noted a statement by the air Force com Mander hat he last drone launched from inc base in Sardinia was five months before the crash italian newspapers have quoted investigators As say ing the plane was downed by a missile possibly during a nato exercise or by a libyan warplane chasing a defecting Mig from its own air forced the wreckage of a libyan Mig was found in South Ern Italy in june 1980, but the exact Date of its crash i Uncertain. -. " the libyan embassy in Rome on tuesday denied any involvement. After repealed appeals from victim families the government ordered the recovery of the dc-9 s fuselage last year
