Nov 29, 2000 - 06:12 PM

Investigators: Towers Set Planes on Deadly Course The Associated Press

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) - Air traffic controllers in different cities put a war plane and a Cessna on a deadly collision course and belatedly tried to warn them away, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report. Controllers in Miami told two F-16 jets to descend as they prepared for a practice bombing run, while controllers in Tampa instructed the Cessna to climb.

The Tampa controllers tried to warn Cessna pilot Jacques Olivier of the two military planes just before the crash, but got no response, Tuesday's report said.

Olivier, 57, was killed Nov. 16 when the left wing of his plane clipped the left wing of one of the F-16s. The Cessna broke apart and fell onto a golf course. No injuries were reported on the ground.

The military pilot, Air Force Capt. Greg Kreuder, parachuted to safety as his F-16 crashed in a nearby swamp.

The NTSB report, which investigators said is based on preliminary information and could change, did not assign blame in the crash.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA4DK1N5GC.html

-- Carl Jenkins (somewherepress@aol.com), November 29, 2000