European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 4, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 6 the stars and stripes tuesday december 4,1990,Panama crashes blamed on Washington a the crashes of two . Army helicopters that killed 11 soldiers in Panama last february could have been avoided if the military Hadnot Cut Comers on Pilot training army investigators say. Quot pilots were getting Zero or near Zero training a says a report completed in March a copy was obtained by the associated press through the Freedom of information act. Army officers interviewed by investigators described a near total collapse of training for pilots of the 1st in 228th aviation regt based at fort Kobbe and adjacent Howard fab in Panama. That set the stage for the Pilot errors and misjudgment that caused the fatal crashes the report said. It said the aviation unit was overloaded with missions including the dec. 20 invasion of Panama. That drastically Cut the time available for instructing and supervising pilots Many of whom were sent to Panama directly from aviator school and stateside advanced quickly to positions of responsibility the report said. ,. The influx of Rookie pilots to Panama in the months before the invasion was unusually Large because Many experienced pilots left the country with their families As political tension Rose. Quot Quot we Are very inexperienced line pilots a maj. Gary Messano commander of b co 1st Brt 228th aviation regt told investigators shortly after the fatal nighttime crashes which occurred within minutes of each other feb. 21. The two helicopters a an oh-58 Kiowa and a us i Huey a crashed in dense Jungle near the Village of Punta Diego during a heavy rainstorm. The army initially said the helicopters were on a training Mission but later acknowledged that they were supporting an assault by soldiers of the 7th Light inf div. Although the helicopters Mission was related to the . Military action in Panama the 11 deaths were not added to the official death toll of 23 from the invasion which had formally ended three weeks earlier. ,. T investigators found no indication of mechanical problems and said that although the storm was severe it would not have prevented a properly trained Pilot from flying his aircraft. In response to the investigation the army took a series of Quot corrective actions in april including stepped up training for bad weather flying improved supervision of pilots and a decree against flying aircraft at night with fewer than two pilots aboard. The pilots of the two helicopters were not technically qualified to Fly the night Mission the army report said. Maj. Nancy Burt of the army a Public affairs office at the. Pentagon said the breakdown in training for the 228th aviation regt is Quot not characteristic of our general aviation  warrant officer James w. Carl 28, was flying his Kiowa from a Soldier drop off Point to Punta Diego when he lost control in a heavy downpour and crashed into a Small Hill. He and his passenger were killed. A Huey accompanying Carl successfully steered out of the storm. Hoping to find the downed aircraft the Pilot of a second Huey entered the rainstorm with three Crew members and five passengers aboard. The Pilot warrant officer Vincent c. Gibson 26, was warned of the intense rainfall by the other Huey screw Quot no problem a a Gibson replied. Moments later Gibson a helicopter crashed killing All nine men aboard. The investigators said Carl flying in total darkness and without a co Pilot tried to Man Euver away from the storm without switching to instrument guided flight which could have enabled him to escape safely. Investigators concluded that Carlos decision was based on a Lack of Confidence in his instrument flight or if skills. The investigators also concluded that Gibson lacked the a a proficiency to a die the storm. Toll collectors flushed receipts pocketed Cash Wildwood Fla. Apr backed up sewer lines at the Northern terminus of Florida s Turnpike revealed that toll collectors flushed receipts Down the toilet and pocketed motorists Money authorities said. Sewer repairmen found a sea of toll tickets in the septic tank and blamed the paper for the clogs. Three toll collectors have been charged with theft. Police said thousands of dollars was stolen although they were not sure of the exact amount or whether other toll collectors were involved. Valeria t. Edward 28, Lillie m. Parker 27, and Rose m. Storks 38, All of Wildwood were each charged with multiple counts of Petty theft and official misconduct a third degree felony. The Turnpike extends from Orlando to South of a Miami. A. T a. A a a. A Ghana to mormon activities Salt Lake City up a the government of Ghana has ended a 17-month ban on most mormon Church activities in the West african nation officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day saints have said. Quot the decision was announced in Art official government broadcast in Accra Ghana a said Church spokesman Bruce Olsen Quot the announcement expressed satisfaction that the Church teaches members to Honor the Flag and promotes racial  Chapman says he regrets rage Attica , apr Mark David Chapman who shot John Lennon to death 10 years ago wants the world to know he a sorry. A a a a you can to judge a Many a life by one act. Before i became a the Man who murdered John Lennon a i a basically a decent person a the Rochester Democrat and chronicle reported in its sunday edition. Chapman who a serving 20 years to life for killing the former beatle was interviewed in his isolated cell at Attica state prison. A a in a not an evil person a he said. Quot like everybody there a a Small part within me that a evil and that a what took Over in my Case. My energies turned foul and went toward something  ? Chapman said he suffered years of mental dissolution before killing Lennon Quot Little people would speak to him giving him advice on How to run his life he said. Chapman said he first got the idea of killing Lennon when he came across a beatles picture Book in a Honolulu Library. Quot i was looking for a Way to vent All the disappointment my anger my rage a he said. Quot a Complete failure in my own eyes. And i came across the Book. I opened the Book and 1 saw him a put yourself where i was a i saw him on the roof of the gabled luxurious Dakota apartment. And i became Hurt. Enraged at what i perceived to be his  Chapman was lying in wait for Lennon outside the Dakota a famous apartment building in new York City on dec. 8,1980, when the musician and his wife Yoko Ono were coming Home from a late night recording Lennon Chapman session _ Quot a when his limousine pulled up he got out and he looked at me. In a sure he remembered me a said Chapman who earlier in the Day got the Star to sign a copy of the new Quot double fantasy album. Quot i walked Back into the driveway and took the combat stance just the Way id practice in my hotel  Chapman recalled standing there with a Quot voice inside his head whispering Quot do it do it do it a Quot As he walked past i aimed right at his Back and i pulled the trigger five times a he said. /. Chapman said he has come to feel great remorse for killing a Man he still looks upon As Quot a seeker of truth. Quot it was an end of innocence for that time. And i regret being the one that ended  . Peace t plans for future Washington up now that peace has broken put in Europe the . Peace corps is getting big ideas. _ the 30-year-old, 6,000-person corps is planning to include 18 new countries to the list of places where volunteers Are based in the next year. Among those countries Are several in Eastern Europe including Romania and Bulgaria. There Are now about 200 volunteers in Eastern Europe a number that will soon grow to about 300. According to the corps director Paul Coverdell informal talks have begun with the soviet Union about sending a peace corps contingent there Andon again off again talks about sending volunteers to China have resumed. The talks were suspended in june 1989 after the chinese government crushed the pro democracy movement. Coverdell said cube chinese Are now prepared to proceed with the program Quot which will Start out with a Small group of English language instructors. _ at a time when most Federal agencies Are shrinking or Frozen at their present Levels the peace corps budget was increased by 11 percent in the last budget to $186 million. A a Coverdell talks of a peace corps that might be 9,000 Strong in the mid-1990s. Others talk about 12,000 volunteers around the world in As Many As 90 coun tries. The most dramatic increases have come in Eastern Europe where volunteers Are now serving m Poland Hungary and Czechoslovakia mainly teaching English. Next year the first group of volunteers is scheduled to go to Romania where they will have the heartbreaking Job of Quot dealing with the country a orphaned children Many of them stunted in mind and body because of neglect and disease. _. Although the first wave of volunteers is made up mainly of teachers the Eastern europeans Are now requesting that the next peace corps groups include some who can give Basic instruction in How to Start and run a Small business As Well As volunteers who can help clean up the monumental environmental mess in some of the countries. _ about 10 percent of current peace corps volunteers Are Over age 50, and there have been volunteers in their 80s. The Only requirement is that they must be Over 18, healthy and . Citizens along with the growth Coverdell said have come some problems a although peace has followed the end of the cold War in Eastern Europe other countries in the third world remain unstable and occasionally dangerous for american volunteers. Peace corps contingents have had to be pulled out of the Philippines and Yemen because of the possibility of violence against americans. Coverdell said a the one thing that we can to tolerate is a defenceless reace corps Volunteer in a hazardous situation when in doubt we pull them  t with size have come some management problems including expanding Ana adapting the training program to the new dimensions and requests from Host coun tries. A. A /./. When Coverdell a former georg1� state senator took Over the peace corps Job in May 1989, there were peace corps contingents in 54 countries. By fhe end or the next year there will be volunteers stationed in 84 or 85 countries  countries Are approaching the . Go verment the surest sign of Success is Imit Uon West Germany Japan South Korea can Ada Britain and France have started up Volunteer groups similar to the face