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Pentagon says debris is missing warplane
April 23, 1997
Web posted at: 7:53 p.m. EDT (2353 GMT)
EAGLE, Colorado (CNN) -- The Pentagon confirmed that two small pieces of airplane wreckage retrieved Wednesday from a snowy mountain belonged to the A-10 Thunderbolt missing for more than two weeks.
The sources, who requested anonymity, told CNN the parts were positively identified after the ID numbers were researched and the parts physically examined.
The parts found included a suspected harness cable assembly and what appeared to be part of an engine, Air Force Maj. Gen. Nels Running said earlier Wednesday.
The pieces were retrieved as Air Force officials took advantage of a break in the weather to send a heavy-lifting MH-53 helicopter to the mountainside where the debris was discovered Sunday.
The pieces were found near Gold Dust Peak in the Holy Cross Wilderness Area, 15 miles southwest of Vail, Running said. There was no sign of Capt. Craig Button, the missing pilot.
Tech. Sgt. Ishmael Antonio, who is trained to rescue downed pilots behind enemy lines, was lowered by cable from a powerful TH-53 helicopter into the mountain.
Antonio tried to pick up the largest piece of wreckage, but it was too big and he couldn't free it from the snow, Running said. So he retrieved the two smaller pieces instead.
Other pieces of wreckage were too heavy or dangerous to move along the jagged, snow-covered ridge.
The rescue team went back to the area later Wednesday to try to recover more pieces before a spring storm dumps heavy snow on the area.
Button, 32, was the only man aboard the aircraft -- affectionately nicknamed a "Warthog" -- which broke formation and vanished April 2 during a routine training mission near Tucson, Arizona.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CNN Plus
Related stories:
- Crews try again to verify A-10 debris - April 23, 1997
- Heavy chopper scopes possible A-10 wreckage - April 22, 1997
- Weather hinders search of likely A-10 crash site - April 21, 1997
- Air Force '99.9 percent' sure debris is crashed jet - April 21, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window- U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet - MH-53J Pave Low IIIE
- MH-53E - U.S. Navy Engineering Report
- U.S. Air Force - A-10 Fact Sheet
- A-10 Warthog Homepage - Major Ed Walker
- 355th Wing - Davis Monthan AFB
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