*EPF501 04/13/01
Rumsfeld Faults Chinese Pilot for Collision with Navy Plane
(It was an accident and not intentional, he says) (920)
By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr.
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the midair collision that apparently killed the Chinese pilot and nearly killed the 24-member crew of a U.S. reconnaissance plane April 1 occurred when the Chinese F-8 fighter jet, flying in an aggressive manner, struck the underside of the left wing of the U.S. aircraft.
"It was clearly an accident," Rumsfeld said April 13 during a mid-afternoon briefing at the Defense Department. It is apparent that the Chinese fighter pilot, Wang Wei, "did not mean to do that, I'm certain of that," said Rumsfeld, who is a former Naval aviator.
According to official reports from the U.S. Pacific Command, the reconnaissance plane, a U.S. Navy EP-3E ARIES II aircraft, was conducting a reconnaissance mission approximately 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Hainan island over international waters in the South China Sea when the midair collision occurred. The U.S. pilot and crew managed to control the aircraft, but because of extensive damage were forced to make an emergency landing at the Lingshui air base on Hainan island where they were detained in a Chinese military guest house. The Chinese pilot is missing at sea and is presumed dead, according to published news reports.
Rumsfeld said the United States was not able to discern sooner what happened in the collision over the South China Sea because the U.S. Navy crew of 21 men and three women were held by the Chinese military at Lingshui until they were released April 12. He said the U.S. account is based on detailed debriefings of the aircraft crew conducted by U.S. military investigators.
A meeting is scheduled between U.S. and Chinese diplomats and defense officials beginning April 18 to discuss the return of the U.S. Navy patrol aircraft, which is still being held at Lingshui.
Rumsfeld said the United States will continue the reconnaissance flights for the benefit of U.S. national security and "our allies ... in the region."
Rumsfeld outlined the events leading up to the accident and the aftermath, making these points during his briefing:
-- The Navy patrol aircraft was flying an "overt reconnaissance and surveillance mission in international airspace in an aircraft clearly marked 'United States Navy.' It was on a well known flight path that we have used for decades. Many countries perform such flights, including China," he said.
-- One key issue concerned whether or not the EP-3 turned into the F-8 fighter jet, and "the answer is it did not," he said.
-- The Navy reconnaissance aircraft was flying in a straight and level flight path while on autopilot before the collision. "It did not deviate from a straight and level path until it had been hit by the Chinese fighter aircraft, at which point the autopilot went off and it made a steep left turn and lost some 5,000-8,000 feet (1,500-2,400 meters) of altitude as the crew attempted to regain control," he said.
-- Second, the pilot made the decision after recovering control of the damaged aircraft to attempt a landing at the nearest airbase, which was the Lingshui airbase on Hainan island. In doing so, Navy pilot Lt. Shane Osborn had the crew broadcast on international aircraft radio frequencies "Mayday" -- the internationally-accepted distress call -- some 25-to-30 times to let the Chinese officials know that the plane would make an emergency landing there, he said.
-- The Navy aircraft proceeded to Lingshui airbase in a perpendicular flight path to the runway and made a 270-degree turn around the runway before attempting to land "so that everyone on the ground and in the air would be aware they were in distress and making an emergency landing," he said.
-- The collision was caused by the Chinese jet aircraft -- known as a Jianjiji-8, single-seat, twin-engine fighter -- when its tail section struck the left wing and outboard engine, he said. Its debris hit the EP-3E's nose cone, which in turn sent debris into the inboard engine on the right wing. In addition, pieces of the aircraft pierced the fuselage (body) of the aircraft, he said.
-- The collision caused the Chinese jet to break into two pieces and plunge into the sea.
-- In recent months Chinese fighter jets had begun maneuvering aggressively against U.S. reconnaissance aircraft, which had been a change from earlier behavior, he said.
-- The $80 million Navy reconnaissance patrol aircraft carries no defensive capabilities, he said. The maritime patrol plane is a four-engine turboprop signals intelligence reconnaissance aircraft. The ARIES acronym stands for "airborne reconnaissance integrated electronic system."
-- Much of the very sophisticated intelligence software and equipment was destroyed by the Navy crew, as part of standard operating procedure, during the plane's descent into Lingshui airbase, he said.
"It is clear that the [Chinese] pilot intended to harass the [U.S. Navy] crew," he said. "We had every right to be flying where we were flying. They have every right to come up and observe our flight. What one does not have the right to do, and nor do I think it was anyone's intention, is to fly into another aircraft. The F-8 pilot clearly put at risk the lives of 24 Americans."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Website: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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