Washington - The commanding officer of a US Marine Corps air squadron has been relieved of his post due to errors uncovered after one of the unit's jets sliced through gondola cables at an Italian ski resort, killing 20 people.
Lieut-Gen Peter Pace, commanding general of Marine Forces Atlantic, ordered Lieut-Col Richard Muegge to be relieved of his command of an electronic warfare squadron based at the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and reassigned to an unspecified position at the base. Lieut-Col Muegge had testified at a June hearing that the squadron was briefed two months before the February 3rd tragedy on a 1,000 ft altitude minimum for pilots flying around the Aviano, Italy, air base. Fliers apparently did not know about a 2,000 ft restriction the Italian government had imposed in October, testimony showed. The EA-6B Prowler sliced the gondola cable 370ft above the ground.