The Region - News from Nov. 20, 1986

Questions about whether air traffic radar was operating properly at the time a small plane flew into a mountain while being directed by a controller at Burbank Airport last month were answered by FAA spokeswoman Elly Brekke, who said the system had been restored to normal 10 hours before the crash. FAA spokesman Russ Park raised the issue last week when he said new software had been tested in the system on the day of the crash that took the lives of flight instructor Allen Hart and student August Henschell, both 24. Park said the system had been switched back and forth between the new and old systems “several times” that day. But Brekke said the system was switched only once during the day, not several times, and was back in regular operation at 9:30 a.m. The crash occurred at about 7:30 p.m.