 Andrews Air Force Base, Md., May 18, 2001 — Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld looks on as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry H. Shelton salutes Lt. Shane Osborn, pilot of the EP-3E that collided with a Chinese fighter jet on Mar. 31 over the South China Sea. Lt. Osborn was presented the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) in an awards ceremony during the opening of annual Armed Forces Day celebration at Andrews Air Force Base. Senior Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate Nicholas Mellos (right) received the MSM for his leadership of the crew during the crew's emergency landing and subsequent detainment by the People's Republic of China, and the remaining 22 members of the crew each received the Air Medal. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Bob Houlihan. [010518-N3783H-001] Hi-rez.
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Washington, D.C., May 18 — The 24 members of the EP-3E hit by a Chinese F-8 fighter off the coast of Hainan Island Mar. 31, were officially recognized as heroes today at ceremonies at the annual Armed Forces Day Open House at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The ceremony followed a welcome for the crew at the White House by President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
The crew were awarded medals by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry H. Shelton, U.S. Army. Lt. Shane Osborn, pilot of the EP-3E, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Meritorious Service Medal; Aviation Machinist's Mate Senior Chief Nicholas Mellos, a flight engineer aboard the EP-3E and the senior enlisted crewman, received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Medal; and the remainder of the crew each received the Air Medal. At a news conference April 14 at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu prior to departure for Whidbey Island, Lt. Osborn described the events of and following the mid-air collision in international waters over the South China Sea on March 31, when the Chinese F-8 fighter hit the Navy EP-3E.
Lt. Osborn stated that, "contrary to some releases," his aircraft was flying straight and level, on autopilot and heading away from Hainan Island in international airspace when it was subjected to harassment from the Chinese fighter. He said that the Chinese jet came within three to five feet of his own aircraft twice, and on the third time, the Chinese pilot apparently misjudged and the F-8's vertical stabilizer, where it meets the fuselage, contacted the EP-3E's number one propeller.
The initial result of the collision was the Chinese fighter began breaking apart and the propeller of the EP-3E started throwing off pieces. The EP-3E is a four-engine, turboprop aircraft.
Lt. Osborn continued that the F-8's nose struck the nose of the EP-3E as the jet fell apparently out of control to the sea. Responding to a question, he said his initial thought was "This guy just killed us." He said the EP-3E rolled uncontrollably over as it started a nose dive, losing 7,500 to 8,000 feet in altitude before he wrestled it under control. Lt. Osborn said the EP-3E was almost upside down and he could look up through the windshield and see the ocean. He stated the EP-3E's left turn as described by the People's Republic of China as causing the accident actually was caused by the Chinese F-8 running into the Navy plane, putting the EP-3E in the out-of-control dive.
Senior Chief Mellos described the moments following the collision as "mayhem." He described the crew yelling over the noise of the wind and vibration caused by the loss of pieces of the propellers and the nose cone. He said it was the training that allowed them to gain control over the situation. "Thank God for the training that we practice every day," he said. Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld had provided most of the details on the collision to a Pentagon briefing April 13. "It is clear," the Secretary said, "the (Chinese) pilot intended to harass the (U.S.) crew." He further stated that this was not the first time that a U.S. reconnaissance flight was subjected to "that type of aggressive contact from interceptors." According to the Secretary, there have been 44 intercepts of U.S. reconnaissance flights by the Chinese air force in recent months, six were within 30 feet and two were 10 feet.
The crew members of the EP-3E were detained on China's Hainan Island following the mid-air collision that forced the EP-3E to land at the nearest airfield. The Chinese have claimed the the U.S. plane violated Chinese air space in doing so. The Secretary stated that it was custom for aircraft in distress to signal via an international call channel, and that is what the heavily damaged EP-3E had done prior to landing at Lingsui, the Chinese military airfield, on Hainan Island. He also said the Navy plane circled the field prior to landing to demonstrate its damage.
The Secretary also discussed previous incidents in which Chinese F-8s had flown within feet of U.S. EP-3E aircraft, and he played a videotape that showed an aircraft with the same side number as that which the missing Chinese pilot had been flying. The tape, from January 24, showed the Chinese aircraft within feet of the EP-3E, experiencing difficultly in holding position and remaining airworthy, and which caused enough turbulence to "thump" the U.S. plane.
The EP-3E remains at the Chinese military airfield on Hainan Island, and discussions over the return of the plane continue between the two governments.
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Updated: 5:59 p.m. 18 May 2001 [2159 UTC]
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