THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, June 8, 1995                 TAG: 9506080460
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: OKLAHOMA CITY                      LENGTH: Short :   38 lines

ONUS OF FRIENDLY FIRE LIES WITH OFFICER, CREW, EXPERT SAYS

An Air Force captain knew there were friendly helicopters in the no-fly zone over northern Iraq but didn't tell fighter pilots patrolling the area before those pilots shot down the friendly helicopters last year, an expert testified Wednesday.

Maj. Aaron Byas, on the team of investigators that looked into the deadly shootdown, said everyone with access to a radar screen on a surveillance plane monitoring the zone at the time shares some of the responsibility.

``There was a breakdown with that entire crew, as far as their actions,'' he said.

The F-15 pilots shot down two Army Black Hawk helicopters on April 14, 1994, killing all 26 people on board.

Byas testified at the court-martial of Capt. Jim Wang, who is accused of not properly supervising crew members on the surveillance plane, not keeping an accurate tactical picture of the area and not letting the F-15 pilots know about the friendly aircraft.

Wang was senior director on the Airborne Warning and Control Systems plane. He told the military investigators he heard the helicopters check in with the radar plane as they entered the no-fly zone, and again when they departed from a city inside the zone.

Wang faces three counts of dereliction of duty. He could be discharged and sentenced to up to three months in prison on each count.

KEYWORDS: FRIENDLY FIRE U.S. AIR FORCE ACCIDENT PLANE FATALITY

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