PASS FOLL TO CONTROL CENTER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP71B00590R000200020029-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 8, 2010
• Sequence Number: 29
• Content Type: TRANS

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/08: CIA-RDP71 B00590R000200020029-2
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PASS FOLL TO CONTROL ~KNTER
-PLANE 6/5 NX
NAHA, OKINAWA (UPI)--A U.S. AIR FORCE SR71, FASTEST
PLANE IN THE WORLD, IS MISSING AND PRESUMED CRASHED IN THE PACIFIC,
AMERICAN MILITARY SPOKESMEN SAID TODAY.
THE TEST VERSION OF THE HIGH LEVEL RECONNAISSANCE
JET--SUCCESSOR TO THE U2 SPY PLANE USED OVER THE SOVIET
UNION--WAS REPORTED OVERDUE TUESDAY DURING A "ROUTINE TRAINING
FLIGHT" FROM THE LOCAL AIR FORCE BASE.
THE SINGLE PILOT ABOARD THE LONG, BLACK NEEDLE-NOSED
CRAFT SENT A LAST MESSAGE FROM A SPOT ABOUT 600 MILES SOUTH OF
HERE AND 500 MILES EAST OF MANILA, THE SPOKESMEN SAID.
AMERICAN MILITARY OFFICIALS HAVE LAUNCHED A SEARCH
OPERATION.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON UNVEILED THE FIRST SR71 FEB. 29, 1964.
THE PLANE IS SAID TO FLY NEARLY 100,000 FEET HIGH--ABOUT 20 MILES.
IT IS SAID TO HAVE REACHED 2,300 MILES AN HOUR, THE FASTEST
PLANE RECORD.
NR2 10AED"
R
"A023
LBYLZYYURGENT
NAHA, OKINAWA AP - A HIGH-ALTITUDE U.S.RECONNAISSANCE
PLANE AND ITS PILOT HAVE BEEN MISSING IN THE PACIFIC AREA SINCE
TUESDAY WHILE ON A "ROUTINE TRAINING FLIGHT," THE U.S.
AIR FORCE REPORTED.
THE AIR FORCE SAID AN AIR AND SEA SEARCH WAS LAUNCHED FOR
THE YF 12A SR71- A SPY PLANE DESCRIBED AS MORE SOPHISTICATED
THAN THE U2.
THE AIR FORCE SAID THE SEARCH WAS CONCENTRATED IN THE
PACIFIC ABOUT 600 MILES SOUTH OF OKINAWA AND 500 MILES
EAST OF MANILA. THE PLANE WAS BASED ON OKINAWA.
NORTH VIETNAM CLAIMED THAT ITS ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS SHOT DOWN
AN AMERICAN RECONNAISSANCE PLANE SOUTH OF HANOI TUESDAY
BUT DESCRIBED IT AS A "U.S. PILOTLESS SPY PLANE." THE SEARCH
AREA FOR THE OTHER PLANE IS MORE THAN 1,000 MILES EAST OF
VIETNAM.
THE AIR FORCE SAID THE LAST CONTACT WITH THE PLANE
WAS AT 1:42 A.M. EDT TUESDAY. THE AIR FORCE DID NOT SAY
IF THE MESSAGE INDICATED TROUBLE.
JAPAN'S KYOD NEWS SERVICE, IN A DISPATCH FROM OKINAWA,
SAID THE YF12A R71 WAS ONE OF TWO SUCH RECONNAISSANCE
PLANES BASED ON OKIIINAWA.
BJ240AED JUNE 5"
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/08: CIA-RDP71 B00590R000200020029-2