U.S. Spy Jet Crashes in Sea
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WASHINGTON — An Air Force SR-71 Blackbird spy plane crashed into the South China Sea during a reconnaissance mission, the government said Friday.
The plane in question, a 22-year-old aircraft manufactured by Lockheed and targeted for retirement in the Air Force’s fiscal 1990 budget, crashed into the water Thursday evening EDT, an Air Force spokesman said.
“The crew reported engine failure shortly after takeoff” from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, he added. “Both crew members ejected and were taken to Clark Air Base, the Philippines, in good condition.”
The spokesman refused to discuss the plane’s mission.
An Air Force official said the service is pushing for retirement of SR-71s because it costs about $8 million to make each intelligence-gathering pass and U.S. spy satellites can do the job faster and with greater clarity.
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