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U.S. Pilot Dies in Crash of Spy Plane
Plane Was Returning to Base in United Arab Emirates
BAGHDAD, Iraq (June 22) - A U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane involved in a mission in Afghanistan crashed while returning to its base in the United Arab Emirates, killing the pilot, the military said Wednesday.
AP
The U-2 provides continuous day or night, high-altitude, all-weather surveillance of an area. One of the planes crashed Tuesday night.
U.S. Central Command said the crash occurred in ''southwest Asia,'' a term that can be a substitute for the Middle East.
''The Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing mourn the loss of a true American hero in the service of his country,'' said Col. Darryl Burke, the unit's wing commander.
The wing has been based at the al-Dhafra air base near Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, since early 2002. The wing flies various types of aircraft, including aerial refueling tankers. It was visited in August by Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Burke appointed an interim investigation board to determine the cause of the crash. It was not clear when the results of the investigation would be completed.
The location of the crash could not be released ''due to host nation sensitivities,'' U.S. Air Force Capt. David W. Small, a Central Command spokesman, said in an e-mail when asked for more information.
In Washington, Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman, said the plane had completed a mission related to Operation Enduring Freedom and crashed while returning to its base.
A U.S. security team was at the site of the crash, he said.
The U-2 operates at an altitude of more than 70,000 feet, beyond the range of most surface-to-air missiles. It has been used by American forces for decades.
In January 2003, a U-2 crashed in South Korea. The pilot ejected to safety, but four Koreans on the ground were injured.
A U-2 was shot down May 1, 1960, over Soviet territory while photographing Soviet missile installations. After parachuting to safety, pilot Francis Gary Powers was captured and later convicted as a spy. He was held for almost two years before being traded for a KGB captive.
06-22-05 13:33EDT
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