[meteorite-list] Part Of Columbia's Cabin Reported Found In Texas

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:18:24 2004
Message-ID: <200302042128.NAA17315_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.floridatoday.com/columbia/020403cabin.htm

Part of Columbia's cabin reported found in Texas
By Zenaida Gonzalez
FLORIDA TODAY
February 4, 2003

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Nacogdoches County sheriff confirmed this morning
that part of the cabin from shuttle Columbia and possible human remains had
been found here.

Officials were not saying how much of the cabin was found intact or if it
will be moved today.

The local airport, A.L. Mangham, has been turned into a federal staging area
for all military aircraft helping in the search for debris that likely holds
the key to figuring out what caused Columbia to tear apart over Texas and
Louisiana on Saturday.

Debris from the shuttle is being trucked to the regional airport, where it
is being inspected, bagged, photographed and then placed on military
aircraft for the trip to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. There, a
team of 100 NASA contract engineers will catalog the debris and begin
forensic analysis.

An independent commission appointed to conduct its own investigation also
will study the debris in Barksdale. But team members spent the better part
of this morning meeting with searchers and coordinators at the base camp in
Lufkin, Texas, about 20 miles south of Nacogdoches.

Meanwhile, work continued in Nacogdoches as U.S. Army Blackhawks and UH-60s
used the local airports to refuel as they continue to aid in the search for
debris.

The environmental protection agency is leading the team in this area, said
federal onsite coordinator Gary Moore. More than 1,200 sites had been
identified by local police as of this morning.

The first debris that was recovered from this area came from school campuses
in Douglass, in the western part of this county. More debris came from
Chireno, in the eastern part of this county, which includes prairies, hills
and a forested area. Additional debris also was recovered from Thomas J.
Rusk Intermediate School and from Stephen F. Austin State University, both
in the heart of this normally quiet city.

Specific questions about human remains and locations are being referred to
the FBI, said county judge Sue Kennedy, who is overseeing the emergency plan
in the county.

"The number one priority for recovery is human remains, followed by toxic
material and then computers, cabin, or control devices," Moore said.

The first human remains found Saturday were shipped to Barksdale, where they
were met by a color guard when they were placed in a secure hangar. The
remains will eventually go to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where the
remains from crew members aboard Challenger were transported 17 years ago.

Nacogdoches County Sheriff Thomas Kerss said it appeared fuel cells from the
shuttle were found intact in the county, but he did not disclose their
location. Components believed to have been part of the shuttle's control
center were also found late Monday, Kerss said.

Search teams using GPS will continue the search in dense, dry woods and
other rural areas today. Teams on ATVs and horseback, as well as on foot,
will continue to use grids to ensure they are covering the territory in an
appropriate manner.

A press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST to update the media about the
investigation.

A memorial service to honor the crew members also is planned for 9 p.m. at
the Stephen F. Austin State University.

Staff Writer Alan Snel contributed to this report.
Received on Tue 04 Feb 2003 04:28:07 PM PST