- BAGHDAD, Iraq -- 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.
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- U.S. Central Command said the crash occurred in "southwest
Asia," a term that can be a substitute for the Middle East.
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- "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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- A U.S. security team was at the site of the crash, he
said.
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- 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.
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- In January 2003, a U-2 crashed in South Korea. The pilot
ejected to safety, but four Koreans on the ground were injured.
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- 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.
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