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 CLEVELAND, Ohio USA — FBI officials say a Continental Airlines pilot told air traffic controllers that an object with a flaming tail and a trail of smoke flew in front of the plane shortly after take-off.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved in the investigation, but officials say they believe the object seen by the pilot just east of Houston's airport yesterday was a model rocket. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Roland Herwig says officials are unsure how high the object flew or how close it came to the plane. The Boeing 737 was carrying 148 passengers. Scott Wilson, a spokesman for the FBI's Cleveland office, says the plane was never in danger and landed safely. The FBI routinely looks into any suspicious activity that involves an airplane. However, many members of amateur rocket clubs across the country have expressed doubt that a model rocket caused the incident. Channel 3 News has obtained video of a recent launch of a model rocket near Amherst, Ohio. The launch was sponsored by the Skybuster Rocketry Club. The high power models can easily reach speeds of 400 miles an hour and gain an altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 feet. Martin Dorociak is president of the Skybusters and says that his group closely follows all F.A.A. regulations and notifies authorities before all high altitude launches. "Every time we have a launch we file a "NOTAM" or Notice to Airmen and to the F.A.A. and that gives us clearance to fly for that one day," Dorociak said. "My rockets use a hybrid fuel and they burn for three to four seconds. That's how I get my rockets up to 5,000 feet." The new high-powered model rockets can reach altitudes of 30,000 feet, but only if the launch site is located in a remote area away from aviation traffic. The pilot of the Continental jet headed toward Cleveland from Houston reported seeing a thick trail of smoke coming from the nearby rocket. Rocket club members say that doesn't match the models they routinely fly. They say at that altitude, a model rocket would have a thin plume of smoke, not the thick one described by the pilot. To learn more about high power rocketry and the local Skybusters Rocketry Club go to: http://www.skybusters.org/ Copyright © 2008, The Associated Press. |
VIDEO: FBI officials say a Continental Airlines pilot told air traffic controllers that an object with a flaming tail and a trail of smoke flew in front of the plane shortly after take-off. 
