European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 22, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. September 22, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 7 gear for testing of radar faulty Gao says Washington a test equip ment used by the air Force to determine the effectiveness of radar warning receivers and other electronics on tactical fighters has been faulty and unreliable says a report released wednesday. The general accounting office an investigative Arm of Congress said the problems with the test equipment under mine the combat readiness of the aircraft and the ability of the planes to Fly com Bat missions. The aircraft Are equipped with elec tronic warfare systems consisting of a radar warning receiver that alerts the Pilot when his air plane is being tracked by enemy radar and a Jammer that trans mits signals to deceive enemy radar. Specifically the study found that at five tactical units in the i United states. Europe and Asia almost Hall if about 455 hammers the air Force deemed ready for combat had undetected defects the Cost Lor this kind of carelessness can be  said rep. John con yers jr., a Mich. The chairman of the House government operations subcommittee on legislation and National Security. And the risk it poses to our National Security and to the lives of our pilots is simply  Conyers subcommittee had requested the Gao report. The study attributed the problems in the air Force s acquisition process. In one instance the air Force purchased 72 lest sets at a Cost of s272 million before testing them. The air Force has no adhered in policies requiring that lest equipment redeveloped and deployed simultaneously with electronic warfare systems the Oao said. To deploy the warfare sys tems As quickly As possible the air Force has not taken Steps to assure thai the electronic warfare system can be adequately maintained in an operational environment. The air Force s strategy May result in additional Cost and will continue to place combat readiness at  the report also said that the air Force is relying on its contractors to keep its electronic warfare systems operating. According to the gain one year contractor technicians made 60 percent of All repairs at one tactical unit in Asia. In Europe at another unit contractor technicians made 40 percent of Fth repairs. The Price tag an average annual cos of $ 154.000 to s215.000 for each technician. Defense department officials told the Gao that they had used the strategy of concurrent development and production of electronic warfare systems to expedit Fielding of Fth  they Pentagon officials said the Fielding of test equipment has lagged he Hind deployment of new electronic War fare  the Gao said. The air Force declined comment on the report until it had reviewed the study said capt. Susan St Rudnansky of the air Force Public affairs office. A. Cool miners defy ultimatum Stoy inside Plont cargo. A a striking Coal miners ignored a judge s ultimatum wednesday night and remained in Side a Coal preparation Plant they have occupied since sunday. About 3.000 Union supporters along Vilh miners and other Union members from throughout Appalachia and the Midwest rallied in front of the Pittston Coal group inc. Plant As darkness fell. . District judge Glen Williams said the 98umw members occupying the Pittston Coal group inc. Plant would face no Federal penalties if they left before 7 . Otherwise they should be prepared to be carried out by Force. Some state troopers drove olt at dusk and Law enforcement authorities let the deadline pass without trying to get inside the Plant. Two Hundred fifty miners in camouflage clothes blocked the Road to the Plant. Roy Castle of Castlewood an operator at the Plant before the United mine so or Kors strike against Pittston began on april 5. Stood Al the front of the group an said they would remain there through wednesday night. We have no intention to go Back he said. They can use water hoses Gas whatever they want. If the bring a tank out Here i la sit right in front of  the Union leadership and the striking miners inside the Plant pledged earlier in the Day to maintain the occupation As Long As they could. They re going to have to haul us out of Here said Eddie Burke one of the occupiers and the ump s Southeast regional coordinator. If they be got enough jail cells and enough bases. I m sure they la get us eventually. We re not going to  the judge said strikers who remained in the Plant would lose their $200 a week in ump strike benefits and face contempt charges and the Union would defined $600.000 for each Day of the occupation. Hopefully the Union will peacefully vacate without having to do so by Force Williams said during a hearing in Abingdon. "1 not Only Hope but Pray that they have the sense to  Williams said he was concerned that an assault on the building would be dangerous even though. _ the demonstrators were Kennedy unarmed. I can visualize a lot of things that would be  he said. The men were occupying a Plant control room reach Able Only by Way of a narrow staircase. Meanwhile sen. Edward m. Kennedy a mass. Chair Man of the Senate labor committee announced wednesday evening the panel was launching an investigation of the labor dispute Between Pittston and the ump. Kennedy said the panel would hold a Public hearing on the matter once the investigation was completed. He did not give a timetable for the review. Pittston s 1,695 ump employees from Virginia West Virginia and Kentucky went on strike in a con tract dispute. Union members at other Coal  Wildcat strikes in june and july. A Long wait ends a Shower if Rice Falls on 92-year-old i lesion Wright and Edith Tyler 82, Vino Hud in wait four years Tor his divorce to come through before they could wed. The ceremony sept. 14 in Lebanon on., was not cupped by a honeymoon us one of heir relatives noted Al their take the ceremony is enough for one  flaps not set on Delta plane in Dallas crash report states Dallas al1 the government s final report on a Delta airline disaster that killed 14 people found that the Crew did t set the haps fur Takeoff but still might have averted the crash if in dad followed emergency procedures a newspaper reported wednesday. The National transportation safety Board report on the crash last year at Dallas fort Worth International Airport put the blame on Delta air lines Llic flight Crew and the Federal aviation administration Accord ing to the Dallas times Herald which said it obtained a copy of the report. The Boeing 727 bound for Salt Lake City crashed on Takeoff aug. 31, 1088. Fourteen of the 108 people aboard were killed. The 174-Page report will be formally presented to the nts8 for approval on tuesday. Although the Nosb can alter the report it usually makes few changes in its staff reports. The report concludes that the Crew s failure to Fol Low preflight checklist procedures and complacent cockpit behaviour led to its neglecting to set the Wing laps a which provide lift for Takeoff the times Herald reported. Delia s management policies with respect to Crew guidance and training were deficient and directly Cau Sal to this Accident the report says. It also accuses the Faa of contributing to the Acci Dent by failing to Correct known deficiencies in Delta operations. L Alicr this year Delia said an internal investigation showed the Crew had caused the crash by failing to Sekihe haps. The Atlanta based Carrier accepted responsibility for the Accident and fired three Crew members. Jackie Pale an Atlanta based Delta representative tuesday night would not comment on the report. Nei ther would the Captain Larry Lon Davis. At an october 1988 Nasr hearing Crew members said they performed their jobs properly although non could specifically Remc Mac a moving the Flap handle or Check no the Flap gauges. A cockpit recording which indicates the Crew and a flight attendant talked about non business topics in violation of Federal rules clearly indicated a relaxed almost complacent Altitude in the cockpit of flight 1141,"ihe report says the tape indicated that at the Point where the co Pilot customarily lowered the flaps he was interrupted by ground controllers and later conversations with the Captain and a flight attendant. The flight attendant s lengthy presence in the cock pit possible comr Butch to the flight Crew s failure to visually Check the Flap gauges the report says. Had Davis exercised his response Billy and asked the attendant to leave the Flap position discrepancy might Haw been discovered it says