Helicopter Beach Chaos
Aug 15, 8:43 am ET
ROME (Reuters) - The United States and Italy launched a joint inquiry Wednesday into why U.S. Airforce helicopters flew at low altitude over a packed beach, panicking vacationers and leaving five people injured.
The rotating blades of the three helicopters whipped up ferocious whirlwinds as the pilots skimmed along Italy's southeastern coast Tuesday, yanking up umbrellas and scattering beach chairs in their wake.
Italian media have reported that the two large Chinooks and one Blackhawk helicopter only swooped down on the beach so crews could wave to the local beauties sunbathing.
The U.S. embassy in Italy said in a statement that the military helicopters had "caused disruption and injuries to people on the beach."
"U.S. officials, in close cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Defense, have begun an inquiry and will be sending a joint fact-finding team to fully investigate the incident," the statement said.
It added that Italian Defense Minister Antonio Martino called U.S. Ambassador Mel Sembler to discuss the affair. "Ambassador Sembler expressed his sincere regret over the incident," it said.
U.S. officials said the helicopters were on a NATO-authorized mission from Germany en route to the Balkans, to support the NATO peacekeeping mission in the region.
Witnesses said the helicopters appeared to slow down as they approached the beach and then waved to the tourists as they clattered overhead, Italian media reported.
The five who were injured were slightly hurt by flying beach furniture.
Witnesses reported seeing the helicopters do the same thing 10 km (six miles) north of the affected beach and then once again further south. No damage was reported at those locations. In 1998, a low flying U.S. jet on a training flight in northern Italy hit the support cables of a cable-car, sending 20 vacationers plunging to their deaths.
Locals accused the pilot of flouting legal flying limits for kicks, but he was acquitted of malpractice by a U.S. military court. He was later sentenced to six months in prison and sacked from the Marines for helping destroy a videotape of the flight.
