Wed, Oct 22, 2008
Further Action May Be Pending For May 17 Transgression
As if diplomatic relations between
the US and Venezuela weren't rocky enough already, a veteran naval
pilot and air wing commander apparently flew a US Navy S-3B Viking
into Venezuelan airspace this past May 17, setting off a diplomatic
firestorm.
The Navy Times reports Captain James Paulsen, commander of
Carrier Air Wing 1, received his wings in 1985 and has logged more
than 4,600 hours. His S-3B was operating under Joint Interagency
Task Force South on what was claimed to be a counter-narcotics
mission in international airspace.
The US admits Paulsen overflew a Caribbean Island called La
Orchilla -- where there just happens to be a Venezuelan military
base -- then contacted Venezuelan controllers to inform them he was
returning immediately to international airspace, following the
inadvertent incursion.
The S-3B is a surveillance and precision-targeting aircraft. If
you were Venezuela... and being threatened by the US with
blacklisting as a state sponsor of terrorism... well, what would
you do?
The US Ambassador to Venezuela was called on the carpet to
explain the overflight. On the US side, a JAG investigation is said
to be ongoing.
The Times reports that on Friday, Paulsen was issued a punitive
letter of reprimand from Fleet Forces Command chief Admiral
Jonathan Greenert, and further action may be pending, according to
the Navy.
But Paulsen remains in command of Carrier Air Wing 1, which is
based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. Sea Control Squadron
32 in Jacksonville, FL -- where the S-3B Viking involved in the
incident was based at the time -- stood down earlier this
month.
More News
Aero Linx: JAARS Nearly 1.5 billion people, using more than 5,500 languages, do not have a full Bible in their first language. Many of these people live in the most remote parts of>[...]
'Airplane Bounced Twice On The Grass Runway, Resulting In The Nose Wheel Separating From The Airplane...' Analysis: The pilot reported, “upon touchdown, the plane jumped back>[...]
"Burt is best known to the public for his historic designs of SpaceShipOne, Voyager, and GlobalFlyer, but for EAA members and aviation aficionados, his unique concepts began more t>[...]
"Polaris Dawn, the first of the program’s three human spaceflight missions, is targeted to launch to orbit no earlier than summer 2024. During the five-day mission, the crew >[...]
There Are SO Many Ways To Get YOUR Aero-News! It’s been a while since we have reminded everyone about all the ways we offer your daily dose of aviation news on-the-go...so he>[...]