Message posted by gary on April 01, 2001 at 8:04:16 PST:
http://www.msnbc.com/msn/553032.asp WASHINGTON, April 1 — Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. Navy surveillance plane over the South China Sea on Sunday, and after a collision, the American craft made an emergency landing in China, an American military spokesman said. A Chinese official accused the plane of flying in China's airspace. ACCORDING TO U.S. officials, the Navy EP-3, a four-engine propeller plane, was intercepted by two Chinese F-8 fighter jets over the South China Sea. After the collision the U.S. Navy craft issued a "Mayday" distress signal, reporting serious damage to one of the engines and the underside of the plane. Navy officials told NBC News that the status of the 24 crewmembers is unclear. They have not been in contact with U.S. military since they've landed on the island. A spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command at Camp Smith, Hawaii, said the 24 crew members on the plane were uninjured, but the spokesman did not reveal the source of his information on the crew. The U.S. plane was in international airspace, he said. CHINA CLAIMS AIRSPACE VIOLATION There was no immediate comment from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The People’s Liberation Army declined comment. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing “communicated our concern about the incident” to the Chinese government, said Col. John Bratton, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Command. U.S. authorities in Washington contacted the Chinese Embassy there as well. In Washington, a spokesman for President Bush said he was being kept apprised of the situation. U.S. officials told NBC News that Washington considers the plane sovereign U.S. territory and that the crewmembers have immune status — meaning the Chinese should have no have no right to board and search the plane or detain the crew. Officials noted that the situation was problematic since the plane can't take off, and U.S. officials can't land on Hainan. The Navy said the United States expects the Chinese to facilitate repair of the plane to allow it to take off.
The Navy plane landed on Hainan Island in Chinese territory. U.S. officials said they believe the Chinese fighter may have crashed into the sea. The Chinese military has launched a search and rescue mission for one fighter jet. The second fighter reportedly landed on Hainan Island, officials said. Live Map:
A spokeswoman for the provincial government of Hainan, however, told NBC News that the collision with the U.S. naval plane had occurred "inside Chinese territorial airspace." The spokeswoman said the damaged aircraft had landed at the Lingshui airport, a military airfield on Hainan Island.
Hainan is China's second largest island. It is also one of China's special economic zones. With a population of seven million, it's at the same latitude as Hawaii. Hainan's beaches make it one of China's top six tourist destinations. The island is one of many bases for China's military use for keeping an eye on the South China Sea
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