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| WEDNESDAY MAY 7, 2008 |
NTSB says smoke contributed to fatal air show crash last July
DAYTON (AP) - A stunt pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the ground during an aerobatics routine caused his fatal crash at the Dayton Air Show in July, but the presence of smoke contributed to the accident, a federal investigation has concluded.
Jim LeRoy's "restricted ability to see the terrain during the aerobatic maneuver" and "smoke oil" present in the air where performers were flying were identified as contributing factors of the accident at Dayton International Airport, according to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation.
Aerobatics pilots commonly distribute smoke oil in the air as a visual effect during air show routines.
The Montgomery County coroner ruled the day after the crash that LeRoy, 46, of Lake City, Fla., was killed immediately by the 200 mile-per-hour impact.
LeRoy crashed while flying in a two-plane routine with fellow stunt pilot Skip Stewart.
(Refer to page 5 of the Daily Chief-Union) |
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Brazil acquits rancher in killing of Ohio nun
IO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - An Amazon rancher earlier convicted of ordering the killing of an Ohio nun has been acquitted in a retrial, a court official said Tuesday.
A jury voted 5-2 to acquit Vitalmiro Moura, one of two ranchers who allegedly ordered the killing of the 73-year-old Dorothy Stang three years ago, court spokeswoman Gloria Lima said.
Moura had been convicted and sentenced to 30 years in May 2007 of ordering the killing of the rain forest defender over a land dispute. But Brazil requires retrials for first offenders who are sentenced to more than 20 years.
Human rights groups had hailed his initial conviction a sign that Brazil was cracking down on long-standing impunity in the region.
But immediately following Tuesday's new verdict, Judge Moises Flexa ordered Moura, who had been jailed since 2005, released.
The dead nun's relatives were stunned by his acquittal.
"The prosecution was excellent. They presented their case very well, so we're very surprised," said David Stang, 70, who flew from his home near Colorado Springs to attend the trial.
(Refer to page 5 of the Daily Chief-Union) |
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High-ranking officials marred by scandal don't always resign
COLUMBUS (AP) - A Democratic political consultant questions why two former U.S. House members who voted against impeaching President Clinton 10 years ago now are jumping on a bandwagon to force Ohio's attorney general to resign or be forced from office.
Clinton's case rings similar to that of Attorney General Marc Dann, a fellow Democrat from Youngstown who has admitted to an extramarital affair with a subordinate and is being challenged for inconsistent statements made under oath.
Congress impeached Clinton, as Democrats now are threatening to do to Dann. Yet Clinton, who was subsequently acquitted in the Senate, never resigned.
"Every case is different," said consultant Jerry Austin of Cleveland. "Now you have the Akron Beacon Journal and The Youngstown Vindicator saying, ‘Wait a second, not so fast. What has he done that's impeachable?"'
Austin said Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, both Democrats, voted against impeaching Clinton after he was charged with perjury.
(Refer to page 5 of the Daily Chief-Union) |
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