Experimental Fighter Crashes; Pilot Safe

Fri., Jan. 20, 1995

Compiled From Wire Services

An experimental jet fighter wrapping up a test flight crashed in the desert Thursday after the pilot safely ejected, officials said.

The NASA X-31 went down in the desert north of the base.

Test pilot Karl-Heinz Lang parachuted to safety. He was taken to a hospital for examination, Staff Sgt. Keith Myhre said. Lang, a German defense ministry pilot, is one of four X-31 pilots.

The X-31 is a highly maneuverable aircraft developed jointly by Rockwell International Corp. and a German partner, Deutsche Aerospace. It is formally called the Enhanced Fighter Maneuverability demonstrator.

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Experimental Fighter Crashes; Pilot Safe

Jesse Tinsley

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Molly Quinn

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