An A-10 ground-attack aircraft assigned to the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, crashed last week in a field outside Laufeld, Germany, a town north of the city of Wittlich. The latter is southwest of Bonn. The pilot, Lt. Col. Scott Hurrelbrink, ejected from the aircraft and sustained minor injuries, but was in good condition in a German hospital in Trier, according to Spangdahlem officials. “[W]e all are extremely grateful that Lt. Col. Hurrelbrink is okay and the aircraft impacted in a field away from Laufeld proper,” said Col. Christopher Weggeman, Spang’s 52nd Fighter Wing commander. Hurrelbrink was returning to base from a local routine training mission at the time of the April 1 mishap. The A-10 was carrying training ammunition, which a USAF explosive ordnance disposal team secured the crash site, the officials said. (Spangdahlem release) (See also our initial coverage.)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
