Ex-Northrop Engineer From Yorba Linda Pleads Guilty in Jump Jet Conspiracy Case

A former Northrop Corp. engineer from Yorba Linda pleaded guilty Monday to participating in a defense fraud conspiracy and admitted that he helped fake test results on key stabilization systems for the Navy’s AV-8 Harrier jump jet.

Howard Hyde, 48, who was a senior engineer in an arm of Northrop’s Precision Products Division in the San Gabriel Valley, acknowledged in federal court that he helped falsify vibration test results for 189 rate sensor assemblies that Northrop made for the Harrier fighter-bombers, which were built by McDonnell-Douglas Corp.

The government paid $1.6 million for the rate sensor assemblies to stabilize the jet, which can take off and land vertically like a helicopter.

Hyde, who pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of making false statements to the government, faces up to 15 years in prison and a $750,000 fine when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Pamela Rymer on Aug. 21.

Hyde was one of five current or former Northrop workers named in a 167-count indictment handed down last month by a federal grand jury.

Defense attorney Marshall Schulman said after the hearing that Hyde pleaded guilty because the government has “overwhelming evidence” against him.

“He is very contrite and feels bad about the whole situation and is accepting his responsibility,” Schulman said.

Hyde worked at the Western Services Department until August, 1987. The department, located in El Monte and later in Pomona, was closed in late 1987 after reports about the faked tests became public.