American Notes AVIATION

After a remarkably safe year for aviation in 1986, the new year has begun with a wave of midair incidents. Three occurred last week, following a collision over Utah the week before. A total of 17 people have died.

Two of last week's collisions involved military planes. In clear skies 20 miles east of Kansas City, a civilian Piper Navajo flying under visual flight rules collided with an Army twin-engine transport, killing all five people involved. In the bright central Texas sky near Brownwood, two unarmed Air Force Phantom F-4 jets crashed while engaged in what the military called a "defensive-maneuver training mission." The crash left debris that stretched for five miles. Two men died, and two parachuted to safety. Finally, over Westerly, R.I., a Piper Cherokee and a Piper Archer, both single-engine, general-aviation aircraft, grazed each other, but both crews were able to land without injury.