Southern Air Suspended in Crash Probe

The Military Airlift Command on Friday temporarily suspended Southern Air Transport Inc. as a cargo hauler for the Pentagon pending a safety investigation of a fatal crash earlier this week.

The move against Southern Air, which was once owned by the CIA and in recent months has been linked to the contra aid effort, was prompted by the crash Wednesday of an L-100 Lockheed Hercules cargo plane at Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

Five Southern Air crewmen died in the accident, which occurred during a routine pilot-proficiency training flight, the Pentagon said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

According to the Defense Department, Miami-based Southern Air has so far won three Pentagon contracts during the current fiscal year, totaling $44 million. Two of the contracts call for cargo service on domestic routes within the United States--one on behalf of the Air Force and the other for the Navy.

The third contract calls for international cargo-hauling service, primarily between the United States and American bases in Honduras and Panama.

Last Wednesday’s crash at Travis was the second involving a Southern Air plane in six months.