European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes Friday August 18,1389 broken strap caused drop mishap c-i30 flights into Kitzinger Field still suspended by John Millar  Bureau a broken Parachute strap let a 10,000 Pound training Load fall from a c-130 cargo plane last month and land less than three Yards from a heavily travelled West German Highway near Kitzinger. An air Force spokesman said thursday. Immediately Afler the july 6 Accident the army s Vii corps suspended All air Force c-130 flights int9 kit Zingen s har vey Barracks army Airfield said corps spokeswoman capt. Anda Strauss. The suspension imposed by it. Gen. Ronald l Watts the Vii corps com Mander will remain in effect until the command reviews an air Force investigation of the incident. The air Force is considering whether to cancel All future missions into the air Field that involve the Parachute system that failed said 1st it. William Dilling Ham a spokesman for the 435lh tac air Winga Trocin main a. Dillingham said the Issue is being re viewed because the drop zone at Harvey lies near a populated area. When the incident occurred the c 130, assigned to the 37th tac Airlift so at Rhein main a was attempting to drop a 10,000-Pound Load into a designated area at the Airfield. Using a Low Altitude Parachute extrac Tion system also known As Lapes. Pilots were to Fly Low Over the installation s drop zone and deploy the system. The Lapes system involves two Par a chutes that Are connected by a strap. Normally a Small Drogue Parachute pulls a larger extraction Chute out of the rear of the plane. The drag effect of the extraction Chute will in turn pull from the plane the Load to which the Chute is attached. Dillingham said the entire process takes from five to eight seconds. The investigation revealed that the system failed just after the Small Parachute was deployed As the plane was flying about 8 to 10 feet above the drop zone Dillingham said. Ploy the Drogue Chute was beginning to de the extraction Chute when the strap broke he said. At that time the plane was already beginning to climb. When the plane reached an Altitude of about 700 feet the big Chute inflated pulling the Load out. The Load consisting of a Metal pallet like platform and a 12-foot-Long. 9-foot wide Concrete Block landed in a vacant lot owned by the City of Kitzinger about 1 / Miles from the drop zone Dilling Ham said. The Load landed about 32 Yard from a car Dealership and less than 3 Yards from Highway 8, he said. No one was injured and there was no property damage. Air Force investigators from the Wing concluded that the strap Between the two parachutes broke causing the system to fail. Dillingham Slid. Human error was ruled out because everything was done according to the Way it s supposed to be done he said. The investigation also showed that the system was found to be in Good Condi Tion during a pc flight inspection. Other army and air Force units that use the system arc being told of the potential Hazard Dillingham said. Cleared officer says Shell give corps my Best by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington a Marine Captain who faced dismissal from the military for having a homosexual As a Friend arrived at her new station this week cleared of All charges but feeling alone bitter and unsure of what the Marine corps expects of her or what she expects of it. I m going to give the Marine corps my Best said capt. Judy Mcade now stationed at Quantico Marine base va., Afler a 16-month Legal Battle. I will do what i can do and just see How it  but Mcade 36, also plans to give the marines her Best fight. The 13-year Veteran of the corps is deter mined to fight because of being passed Over for promotion assertions that she was the victim of a Kangaroo court and the Marine corps insistence that she had used poor judgment in having a lesbian As a Friend. I m going to fight As Long As i be got a fight she said. I did t do anything wrong. I am a fighter. I will continue to be a  Meade s attorneys plan to file a complaint with military officials against Marine officers and Navy investigators for allegedly misrepresenting evidence in her Case. They claim records of testimony reports and even a lie Detector Reading of a key witness were altered to make Mcade appear guilty of indiscretions and illegalities. Mcade was never accused of homosexuality which is illegal in the military. But a Marine Board of inquiry in february recommended that the for Mer Camp a Picune ., Security police officer be Given a less than honorable discharge for bringing Dishonour to the corps. Mcade was recommended for removal from the marines for among other things having a homosexual As a Friend hiding her Friend s sexual Orienta Tion from superiors and not reporting suspected homosexual activity Between two enlisted women. The Board s decision was overturned by a Board of review last month. But the marines have slated that Mcado s superiors still believe she showed bad judgment As an officer. I would like to make complaints on All those things Mcade said regarding the mistreatment claims. There arc continuous wrong things that Are going on. I got a bad fitness report for leaving Camp Jcj Cunt. They did not recommend me for  the Marine corps has denied claims that the Case against Mcade was rigged. Capt. Scott Campbell a spokesman said that he attended Meade s hearing and that the panel of six colonels was fair. Concerning Meade s failure to be promoted Campbell said that the total personnel file and the total record is looked  Mcade was t promoted to major last Spring when she first was eligible. The next Board that selects new majors convenes in March. If she does t receive a promotion then she prob ably will have to leave the corps next summer. Mcade who maintains she never witnessed the alleged homosexual activities said prejudice against her Means there is no Way to go up in the ranks. There has been no support from the corps. The Only support was from the Public Mead said. She said it Cost her $16,000 to hire a civilian attorney to represent her at the Board of inquiry held in Camp la june. Thank god for my family because i could t have paid that. We had to get rid of my Home. And 1 could t afford any More. In her Appeal Meade received Legal assistance from several private groups concerned with military Justice civil rights and women s issues. It s been just terrible. Physically mentally everything. If they wanted to get me they be got me. After 16 months they be got me she said. I will give my Best. I still love the Marine corps. I still love my country. And yes there is bitterness. Nobody should have to go through the hell i went  news update Pilot error cited Athens Greece a Pilot error caused the crash of an olym Pic airways plane that slammed into a Mountainside on the Eastern Aegean Island of Samos killing all34 persons on Board communications minister Nikos  thursday. He said that an 18-Page report by a commission created to investigate the August 3 tragedy blamed the Pilot for his wrong assessment of the aircraft s Posi Tion in the Clouds failure to change the plane s Altitude to avoid the Mountain and failure in maintaining flight  the twin engine Turbo prop air Craft was on an inter Island flight that departed from Salonica i Northern Greece when it crashed into a Cliff. Dodds school lunch Price rising 10 cents Munich West Germany is prices for school lunches in Europe will Rise by 10 cents to $1.10 when school begins aug. 28, cafes Europe officials announced this week. It is the first increase since 1987 and is consistent with the average . School lunch Price the officials said. Free meals and reduced Price meals at 40 cents will still be available for Chil Dren who qualify. Applications for free and reduced Price meals May be obtained at the schools. Cafes Europe will still Honor lunch tickets purchased last year for the full Price meal officials said. The school lunch program overseas As in the United states uses surplus commodity foods including powdered milk cheese and flour. Various amounts of these surplus foods donated by the .department of agriculture Are used by cafes to reduce the Cost of providing meals in the school lunch program. Gaffes Europe officials said it costs about $1.90, including labor food and supplies to prepare each meal in school cafeterias. But they added that the sur plus food offsets part of the Cost. Warning issued on big wheel Riding toy a safety notice has been issued regard ing a toy that was possibly sold through cafes stores in Europe in 1986.the toy involved is the Battery oper ated big wheel Riding toy manufactured by Empire of Carolina inc. The on off switch May overheat an stick in the on position which could result in a Burn to the operator s hand or loss of control of the Riding toy. The affected models Are Kawasaki kit 250 Prairie big wheel serial numbers 1215, 1220, 1223 and 1221 and the Sweet the nuff big wheel. Use of this toy should Stop immediately until a replacement switch is installed. This will be provided free of charge by calling the manufacturer at 1-800-334-5666, a toll free numbering the United  the Model name and number of the toy ready when you Call. Inquiries also can be mailed to Empire Campaign co Empire of Carolina inc., . Box 427, dam Street Extension Tarboro , 27886.correction the Munich military Community do snot control the Erding billeting facility As indicated in an article yesterday. The decision to close the facility was made by the 17th air Force at Sembach a West Germany. Army identifies Soldier who drowned Schwa Bisch Amund West Ger Many the 56th Field arty come sol Dier who drowned Early tuesday in pm Al Zerhausen Lake was spec. Otis l. Sinkfield the command said thursday. Sinkfield 23, was a telecommunications Center specialist assigned to Btry a 2nd in 9th Field arty at Hardt Cas Ernin sch Sobisch Amund. He had been with the unit since july. Command spokesman maj. Jerry Hart said the Soldier spent monday evening at a local restaurant with other soldiers an West germans. The group then went to the nearby Lake about 20 Miles East of Stuttgart. Sinkfield drowned about 2 30 . While trying to swim to a raft the drowning is under  the Soldier is survived by his  b. Sinkfield and his 5-year-old ton Laquan a Sinkfield both of Chicago