Alarmed Observers Thought it had Missile
Emily Bittner The Arizona Republic May. 17, 2004 12:00 AM
A red helicopter flying over Interstate 10 near Queen Creek Road over the weekend looked very much like it was carrying a missile, witnesses said.
So when an off-duty Phoenix police sergeant spotted the bird, he called dispatch, which in turn contacted the Department of Homeland Security, forestry officials, the highway patrol and the military to ask if anyone knew what was happening, said Bill Price, police communications supervisor.
- No one did.
So Phoenix Police Department helicopter Air 15 flew out to investigate the mystery chopper.
"We wanted to check it out," Price said. "It sounded too suspicious."
The unidentified helicopter landed at Chandler's Memorial Airfield and police eventually learned that the pilot works for a private company that is testing a magnetic sonar device for the Navy. The Navy uses similar technology to search for mines and other objects.
"Why they would be doing magnetic sonar testing in the desert, I don't know," Price said. The Navy was unavailable for comment, but tests are to continue through Wednesday, Price said.
Highway 95 in Roane County will be fully functional again for your Monday morning commute. Department of Energy leaders said all the radioactive material spilled on the roadway Friday has been removed.
Contractor Bechtel Jacobs and DOE still have not said why it took nearly 4 hours after the radioactive leak to notify the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency of the problem, and nearly 5 hours to shut down the highway.
Several investigations are being done. Link to Article
Any engineering types here who can answer that one?
Flying near I-10, we could surmise perhaps near overpasses or other areas where a mine/explosive could have been planted.
Glad the police copter was alert!