[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 8 (Monday, February 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                   MILITARY ACCIDENT IN AVIANO, ITALY

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my deep sympathy 
to the families of those killed in Italy by a low flying plane. Like 
all Americans, I was shocked, saddened, and angered that an American 
plane caused this tragedy.
  We do not have all the details at this time and are having to rely on 
media reports, but I want to be very clear. This tragedy never should 
have happened. This was a disgraceful act, military training should not 
be done in civilian areas.
  I wish that I could say that this was an isolated incident. 
Unfortunately, I cannot. Accidents during training missions occur with 
disturbing frequency.
  Last September, the Secretary of Defense was forced to suspend all 
training flights after a rash of six crashes within one week.
  Also in September, a F-117 crashed in Maryland, injuring 4 civilians 
and burning a portion of a home.
  In 1996, a U-2 spy plane crashed in the parking lot of the Mercury-
Register newspaper, killing one and injury two others.
  In October, a military jet crashed in Pennsylvania. The pilot managed 
to eject safely, but the plane exploded near a busy interstate highway.
  It may be impossible to make training missions 100% safe for the 
pilots, but we have an obligation to make sure they are safe for 
civilians.
  In the tragedy in Aviano, Italy, the pilot was flying an approved 
flight path though not at an approved altitude. This flight path led 
the plane, at a very low altitude, directly over a functioning ski 
lift. While I have trouble believing news reports that pilots entertain 
themselves by flying under the ski lift cables, that plane never should 
have been in the proximity of the ski lift. The potential for tragedy 
was simply too great. Unfortunately, it took the deaths of 20 people to 
prove it.
  Clearly, responsibility for this tragedy lies not only with the 
pilot, but also with the commanders who authorized these dangerous 
flights. There is a certain degree of risk involved in all training 
missions. That risk should not fall upon innocent civilians. How many 
more incidents such as the one in Aviano have to occur before it 
becomes clear that the potential for tragedy in these missions is too 
great?
  I would like to see the following actions taken:
  1. A change in the guidelines over where planes can fly training 
missions.
  2. An immediate report to the American people of the facts of the 
accident at Aviano. It has been almost a week and we still have no 
information from the military.
  3. If the investigation shows that the pilot was at fault, the pilot 
should be subject to Italian law.

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