European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 4, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes thursday May 4,1989 report Given on Jet crash that killed Harpe by Deedee Arrington Doke Kaiserslautern Bureau a device Hal warns ground controllers when a plane is arriving too Low apparently did not have time to sound an Alert before an f-16 Jet crashed near Torr Jon a. Spain in december killing the 16th air Force commander. Investigators found no evidence of aircraft mechanical problems that could have caused the dec. 5 Acci Dent that killed maj. Gen. Winfield s. Harpe the re port said. But controllers told investigators that the Low Altitude alerting system or Laas did not warn them that Harp s Jet had descended below a mini mum Safe Altitude just before the Accident. Harp s f-16 slammed into a Hill about 15 Miles from Torr Jon during a night air to air refuelling mis Sion. The report said Harp s plane was descending at a rate of about 3,600 feet per minute just before the crash. Additionally the report said there was no Moon Light and a slight Haze hovered up to 5,000 feet above sea level at the time of the 7 . Crash. The major general had a waiver from Pilot vision requirements so Long As he wore glasses. The report said Temple sup ports for a pair of glasses were found in the aircraft wreckage. Harpe 51, apparently tried to slow Down level off or begin a climb when he crashed at an Elevation of nearly 3,000 feet above sea level the report said. Torr Jon s Low Altitude alerting so Stem is set to go off when radar detects a plane at 3,900 feet. A radar sweep is completed about every 5 seconds. The first warning flashes the phrase Low Alt on the controllers radar screen. The second radar sweep across the target triggers three warning tones at ground control if the aircraft remains below the set Altitude. Ator Cjon ground control recording revealed no warn ing tones the report said. With no Laas warning alarms the. Controller was not aware of. Harp s Low Altitude and trans Mission to Alert him was not made the report said. Given Harp s rate of descent and the radar sweep s timing however the report also noted that it is technically possible that the Laas system operating within its design capability would not have activated. Due to obstacles in the t c Rejon. Line of  the released Accident investigation report relates to sues and docs not determine cause or response a separate safely investigation also has been cd but will not be released to the Public. Safe air traffic control authorities would not Dis cuss Laas in conjunction with Harp s crash but capt. De Worley a command spokesman said the device was operational at the time of the crash. It was Legal i ability. Tested following the Accident and it was working prop Erly he said. Col. Roger g. Bacchieri Safe s director of air traffic services and airspace management said the system is reliable within its limitations. The real key is the Pilot Bacchieri said. The investigation Board received contradictory Testi Mony As to whether other aircraft flying below the 3.900-foot warning Altitude set off the system after Harpe s Accident. Other contradictory testimony was received concerning whether the system had been checked that Day. Safe has not ordered changes to Laas proce dures regulations or equipment As a result of the crash although procedural Fine tuning is under Way Wor icy said. Torr Jon s Laas is one of 12 used by Safe. It is less sophisticated than the minimum Safe Altitude warning system used at other bases such As Ramstein a West Germany which have broader areas of responsibility. Harpe had 4,730 total flying hours including 181 in the f-16. He Harpe impressed those with whom he flew with his knowledge of aircraft systems and his instrument flying ability the report said. Corrections Leeton to. A the associated press in an obituary of former Canslers president Roy Lee Williams  James r. Hoffa As one of the people referred to in a quotation by William j. Mccarthy the current presi Dent of Fth Union. Mccarthy was referring to Roy Lee Williams and to Jackie Presser another former teamsters president not to Hoffa when he said in testimony before the Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations in Washington april 4, one was a cheat and one was a liar and both were mixed up with la Cosa nos Traby their own admissions. 1 did t care for either one of  Hoffa also a former president of the Union disappeared in 1975. Mccarthy became president after pc scr s death last year. San Antonio a the associated press reported erroneously that an air Man granted permission to observe witchcraft holidays was a physical therapist at Lackland fab. The airman Patricia Hutchins work sin the physical therapy department at Wilford Hall Usan medical Center but is not a certified physical therapist. Breakdown forces Singer to cancel tour Hamburg West Germany is Isaac Hayes has cancelled his european tour scheduled for april and May promoters said wednesday. The Singer is suffering from a Ner Vous breakdown illness caused by mental pressure and nervous tension sin connection with his private life his Hamburg based promoter said. Hayes recently was cited for contempt of court and jailed for being $346,300 behind in child support and Alimony payments. Tickets for the cancelled shows can be reimbursed at Points of Purchase. German military chief arrives in soviet Union Moscow a the West German chief of staff . Dieter will Orshoff arrived in the soviet Union wednesday on a four Day official visit the first by a chief of the West German armed forces the official soviet news Agency Tass said. Will Orshoff met with soviet army Gen. Mikhail Mois Cycz the chief of the soviet armed  said the main goal of the meeting was the establishment of Confidence building measures Between the armed forces of the two countries. Changes to delay deployment of Trident Washington of the Navy has found the mechanical problem that caused a Trident ii missile to explode in March but corrective design changes will cause a three month delay in deploy ment a military official said tuesday. Dan Howard the Pentagon s chief spokesman said a Navy Board of inquiry had blamed the failure on a mechanical linkage in the first stage nozzle. We now expect the first operational missiles to be at sea on the submarine  Tennessee in March of 1990, he said. The mechanical linkage is responsible for moving the rocket nozzles Back and Forth seconds after a launch. The Pentagon previously disclosed preliminary findings made final by the Navy Board. They the Navy have decided that they have to do some redesign and modification of Fth mechanical linkage that transmits the nozzle position commands to the nozzle exit Cone at the base of the missile Howard said. Incorporating these changes will allow us to conduct the next test in  Howard declined to estimate the Cost of the design changes but he described them As fairly  the Navy said the missile s builder the Lockheed corp., would have to Bear the Cost. Howard said the delay in deployment was based on two other factors. First there has been a cessation of All propellant casting including the Tri Dent second stage motors due to the explosion at the Hercules Plant in Magna Utah on March 29," he said. Second there s an ongoing strike at the Kaiser acro tech Plant in san lean Dro calif., which has resulted in Stop Page of delivery of nozzles for both the second and third stage of the Trident rocket motors. We anticipate that the de livery of those will resume by  the Navy s investigation began March 21, shortly after a Trident ii missile fired from the Tennessee blew up four seconds after launch. The missile popped to the sur face As planned and the first stage ignited properly. But then the missile began spin Ning like a burning Pinwheel and exploded. It was the first submarine launch of the Navy s newest and most powerful nuclear weapon. Missing sailors identities Given Tokyo up the . Military re leased on tuesday the identities of two sub Marine Crew members missing since they were washed overboard by a wave during surface operations off Southern Japan. A third crewman was rescued. The missing sailors Are it. Waller Gray Womble 36, of Tampa fla., an fireman apprentice James David Lear 20, of Washburn iii., said master sgt. Jake Rodrigues spokesman for the . Forces Japan. They were were swept off the attack submarine Barbel Early monday when a Large wave crashed Over the deck. Rod Rig Essaid. Two persons. Remain missing today despite extensive search efforts throughout the night Rodrigues said tuesday. With Daylight the search  the japanese military has dispatched two destroyers two cutters and three air Craft to assist two . Navy p-3 Mari time patrol aircraft and the Oiler Poncha Toula in the search Rodrigues said. The third crewman it. Charles Rich Ard Davenport 29, of Brownsville Texas was spotted by a search aircraft and rescued by the Crew of the Barbel he said. Davenport has returned to the . Fleet activities at Sasco on the South West Island of Kyushu in Good Condi Tion and in Good spirits Rodrigues said. The Barbel a diesel powered sub was conducting surface operations in International Waters 120 Miles South of Casebo in the East China sea when the incident occurred at 2 30 . Monday he said. The Barbel will return to Sasco for an investigation into the Accident Rod rogues said. Soldier killed when truck crashes Burns Wil Flecken West Germany is a Soldier assigned to the 237th engr in in Heilbronn was killed tuesday when the m9i6 tractor trailer he was driving hit a tree and caught fire at the Wildfi Ecken training area. A Soldier Riding in the truck was not injured but was taken to the army Hospi Tal at Wil Ryburg for observation and re leased. The unit part of the 7th engr brigade headquartered in ludwigs Burg was at wild Tecken for an annual training exer Cise. Both soldiers worked As heavy equip ment operators for the battalion. The names of the soldiers Are being withheld until their families have been notified. Army officials arc investigating the Accident. Offenbach West Germany warehouse personnel arc trying to locate service members and civilians in Europe who have not claimed their unaccompanied baggage a v corps spokeswoman Saidt baggage left unclaimed after 300 Days is subject to  following persons should con tact the Offenbach warehouse 1to Box 44, Frankfurt military Community Apo 09710, or Call Frankfurt ets 320-5008 or 7309. Joe age Michael led lord Harrow Alexander Jerome Mart Reynold August Scott Barr Nyll Batchelor Kev Beckner Darrel Bibbs Jeffrey Bozarth Norman co Christopher Crownover Bernard def Floren Dickens of Ell Eft Eddie Gardner Gerald Garrett Utonn of Ochrang Jennifer Truen Sonja Hanson Wyne Uhitil Craig Kimbrough  Douglas Myton Jonn Negron Reyes Ortiz ily Pike Tony Rea Robert Rinehart Michael Rumery Richardo san Jato Jeffrey Schwec Tyhof leg a. Staranowicz Leroy Strickland Joseph Strong  Sandra Vasquez Sonia Watkins  Jeffrey Wyatt Tyrone Adam Kenneth Murphy Marcus Artajos Jena Natter Robert deft Jiffy a iyar Martin Bryant Rodney Davis Rtchard Frederick Edward Garcia budget Grimm Lester Herbert Letite Homback Richard Janson Jeffrey be Torau Hennein Johnson mar Koster Kathleen Leothy Gerald Wolgren Jeffrey Lovato Garym Tor darvon Moore Sabao Pabon  Karen Rasberry Ellrey Rucks Greg Runton Whytha Scott Jamie Star Fey Sand Sloan Phit tip Smith James staff a Renaldo Tor i Sanchez Davtd Vanetton Thomas Wanciak after Warren Garret Werner Shawn weted