Tanker 07 Aircraft Debris

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On September 10, 1987, a civilian plane plunged into a mountain on the White Sands Missile Test Site in White Sands, New Mexico. The aircraft, identified as Tanker 07, was owned by Black Hills Aviation and was performing a crucial air fire suppression mission for the White Sands Base when disaster struck. The plane went down in the Red Rio/Oscura area of the base, a region that served as the testing ground for the Army's Line of Sight Forward Heavy Missile phase of the Forward Area Air Defense System (FAADS) Project. A team of seasoned aircraft accident investigators, including explosive specialists from RTI, meticulously examined the crash debris on display. Their analysis revealed conclusive evidence that an external force had compromised Tanker 07 before its impact with the ground. In a subsequent court ruling, however, it was determined that there existed no factual basis to suggest any external force was under the sole control of the United States at the time of the crash. Specifically, the district court found no evidence of accidental missile firings or military activities that could have contributed to the tragedy.