Friday, July 14, 2000 | 10:33 a.m.
A former Nellis Air Force Base group commander who was deemed partially responsible for the 1998 crash of two military helicopters that killed 12 airmen has been denied command of a fighter wing in Florida.
The Air Force this week rescinded an assignment to have Col. Larry D. New, former commander of Nellis' 57th Operations Group, head the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla.
That decision followed public criticism of his command of Nellis' 66th Rescue Squadron which, on Sept. 3, 1998, lost 12 of its members when two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters crashed during a training exercise about 25 miles north of Indian Springs.
An investigation by the Air Force Accident Investigation Board found that New failed to mitigate safety hazards and was aware of training and morale problems prior to the accident but failed to report them to the wing commander.
Maj. Robin Chumley, spokeswoman for the Air Combat Command Headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Va., said New's name, in January, appeared on a list of fighter wing command assignments. Gen. Michael Ryan, the Air Force chief of staff, had approved New to become the new boss at Eglin in April 2001.
Chumley said the Air Force Times, a civilian-operated newspaper that focuses on Air Force activities, recognized New's name, made inquiries and wrote a story quoting members of the dead airmen's families as being upset with New being given command of an F-15 Eagle wing.
The paper quoted Laurel Lewis, widow of Capt. Greg Lewis, a pilot of one of the downed helicopters, as saying: "I am appalled that the Air Force would move him to that position."
The media coverage apparently caused the Air Force to rethink its decision.
"While Col. New's career-long record of performance demonstrates he is a highly capable officer, his association with this accident, and the continuing news media scrutiny it draws, will detract from his ability to effectively lead the wing," said Gen. John P. Jumper, head of the Air Force's Air Combat Command.
"I owe it to the men and women of the 33rd to give them a commander who can focus exclusively on them and their mission."
New, who currently is chief of the Strike Warfare Assessment Division on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, through an Air Force spokesman declined to comment on the Air Force's decision.
Nellis spokeswoman Martine Ramos, chief of media relations, also declined to comment and referred all inquiries to Air Combat Command.
Capt. John Hutcheson, spokesman for Air Combat Command at Langley, said according to Air Force records New was transferred from Nellis to the Pentagon on Dec. 30, 1998.
No one has been named to replace New as commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing, the Air Force said.
According to the Air Force investigation, the two Pave Hawk helicopters collided between 100 and 300 feet above the ground, killing all aboard. The helicopters, which were each carrying six Air Force crew, were known as Jolly 38 and Jolly 39.
Investigators ruled out any chance that the accident could have been caused by a mechanical malfunction or weather. The report lists several factors that could have contributed to the crash, including the finding that at least three of the crew did not have the necessary training for the flight.
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