Army Crash

The Associated Press, March 19, 1992
The Associated Press
The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.
March 19, 1992, Thursday, AM cycle
SECTION: Washington Dateline
LENGTH: 358 words
HEADLINE: Congressman Claims New Evidence in 1985 Crash of Army Charter
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
BODY:
A congressman on Wednesday produced what he said was new evidence that an explosion, not icing on the wings, caused the 1985 crash of a chartered plane in Newfoundland that killed 248 American soldiers and eight crew members.
Rep. Robin Tallon, D-S.C., at a Capitol Hill news conference, displayed what appeared to be piece of aircraft wreckage with a large hole in it, which he suggested was caused by a bomb.
The DC-8 aircraft went down on Dec. 12, 1985, while taking off from Gander, Newfoundland, following a refueling stop. It was a chartered flight returning U.S. soldiers home from a peacekeeping mission in the Mideast.
Canadian and U.S. authorities determined that the crash was caused by icing on the plane's wings.
Tallon said, however, that explosives expert Robert Short produced a replica of the hole in a controlled laboratory experiment last year.
Tallon said Short concluded that an explosion occurred behind the last row of seats on the plane. The theory is supported by eyewitness accounts of a bright orange glow at the rear underside of the plane before it went down, the congressman said.
But he said the "explosive hole" in the plane was never adequately investigated by American and Canadian authorities.
A judiciary subcommittee in December 1990 also concluded that the authorities did not fully investigate the possibility of a terrorist act.
Responding to questions, Tallon said the fragment of the fuselage had been received from an insurance company involved in the Gander accident. He said he did not recall the name of the company.
A photograph was displayed at the news conference showing a piece of fuselage with a hole in it said to have been included in the Canadian government's report of the accident.
The photograph showed a hole that was badly splayed and fragmented. The piece of metal that Tallon showed was completely flat, and he said he could not account for the difference.
Tallon appealed to the Bush administration to open a formal investigation of the incident and complained that past appeals had been ignored. The administration has to date accepted the Canadian government findings.