Errant Test Missile Destroyed in Air

An unarmed Minuteman I missile on a test flight to the South Pacific was deliberately destroyed two minutes after launch Saturday, Air Force officials said.

The intercontinental ballistic missile developed problems with its boosters and flight data after taking off at 6:06 p.m. from this coastal military base 140 miles northwest of Los Angeles, Sgt. Andrew Glaze said.

“It looked like a normal launch then it started to corkscrew then it burst into flames and then it was gone,” said Senior Airman Stephen Horton.

The 55-foot-long, 73,000-pound missile was over the ocean when officials decided to make it self-destruct, Horton said. Many people in Santa Barbara witnessed the blast, he said.