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<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>One Pilot known OK

(OAKTOWN, Ind., May 17th, 2004, 4 p.m.) -- Two military fighter jets collided Monday in southwestern Indiana, state police said. An eyewitness said at least one of the pilots parachuted safely to the ground, but the fate of the other pilot was not immediately clear.

State police Sgt. Greg Winkler said the jets collided about 1:40 p.m. over Oaktown, about 40 miles south of Terre Haute. He said he believed the wreckage landed in an open field.

Winkler said the military had been notified but could not say to which branch the jets belonged.

A Knox County emergency services, who not give his name, said the county coroner had been sent to the scene, but would not confirm any fatalities.

Don Kirkham, a former Knox County sheriff, said he was mowing his lawn when he heard a boom or explosion and then looked up to see a man parachuting down. He said he drove to that area and found two other people comforting the pilot, who was agitated and had head wounds.

"He's OK. He's bleeding from facial wounds," Kirkham said.

"All he was concerned about was his buddy. He said 'I'm not worried about anything but my buddy,' so we cornered him and got him into an ambulance," Kirkham said.

Jonathan Swain, Gov. Joe Kernan's press secretary, said that the jets were F-16s, but that he did not know any other details.

Karla Caballero, manager of Da Bar & Grill in Oaktown, said she was talking on the phone to her mother when she heard what she assumed was a sonic boom.

She said that about 15 minutes later a man came into the bar and said he saw a pilot parachute down along nearby U.S. 41 who said he spoke to the pilot, who appeared fine.

She said other people said they saw smoke coming from an area about 6 to 8 miles south of the rural town of about 800 people.


(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>A military pilot was killed in the collision Monday of two jets over southwestern Indiana was killed, an eyewitness said. Another eyewitness said the other pilot parachuted safely to the ground.

Lisa Hall said she was at home when she heard an explosion and that she saw the dead pilot's body in a field nearby.

"I walked outside and saw the man coming down in the parachute," Hall said. "His parachute wasn't open, it was collapsed." <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

RIP to our lost pilot.

"When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier."

Kipling-

<img src=newicons/smiley_salute.gif border=0 align=middle>

Maj. William E. Burchett

God Bless

"The power to Destroy the planet, is insignifigant to the power of the Air Force----Mudd Vader

The job is dangerous off the battlefield as it is on.
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Edited by - Tritonal on May 17 2004 7:44 PM

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"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would harm us". George Orwell

Fighting For Justice With Brains Of Steel !
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_________________
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.