Starfighters Grounded

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31237, 8 December 1966, Page 21

Starfighters Grounded

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright?

BONN, Dec. 7.

The West German Air Force yesterday grounded its crashplagued fleet of American - designed Starfighter jets pending investigations into the cause of the sixty-fifth Starfighter crash last week.

The disclosure came after a Defence Ministry announcement in Bonn that flight restrictions had been introduced on the 1500-mile-an-hour planes, of which 65 have

crashed with the loss of 37 pilots since 1961. The Air Force chief, Lieutenant - General Johannes Steinhoff, issued the order today with immediate effect for the whole fleet, which originally totalled 700. Third Grounding

The grounding the third since the supersonic planes were first flown by West Germany—followed another fatal accident last week, when a Starfighter crashed on landing.

An Air Force spokesman said that in spite of determined efforts to improve the Starfighter system, previously unknown defects had been found in the plane which crashed last week. Since the actual cause of the latest accident had not yet been established, the new restrictions were essential for safety reasons, he said. Earlier Banning

Jet training flights over the sea were banned last July after a Starfighter plunged

into the North Sea killing the pilot. The ban was lifted three weeks ago following an extensive course for pilots in sea-rescue operations. In September General Steinhoff lifted an earlier ban on low and night flying for the Starfighters.