Infamous Groom Lake, also known as Area 51, has finally been officially acknowledged as real by the US CIA. Long the most incredible of national security denials and “no comments,” the complex of buildings and runways, extensively documented by satellite imagery, litigation, television shows, movies and enthusiasts, is finally the acknowledged base of operational testing for the beginnings of the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft program.
Asiana Airlines Flight 214, a Boeing 777, has been involved in a plane crash at San Francisco International Airport. Published reports indicate the aircraft crashed and caught fire after touchdown. Apparently the plane was on a flight from Seoul, South Korea. (Updated)
The International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 36 crew has launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. They are flying aboard a Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft on an “accelerated” six hour mission to the ISS.
The US Air Force says an F-15 based at Kadena, Japan, has crashed into the Pacific Ocean on 27 May 2013. The service says that the plane crash occurred some 70 miles East of Okinawa, Japan, and that Japan Air Self Defense Force rescue squadron personnel rescued the pilot who is in stable condition and receiving medical attention.
![Interview of Richard Anderson CEO of Delta Airlines [Audio]](https://aerospacenews.com/asnc-admin/../airplane-pictures/2013/05/airline-news-400x150.jpg)
Richard Anderson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Delta Airlines, was interviewed recently by David Brancaccio of the Marketplace Morning Report. They discuss a wide range of topics from the risks of adding state of the art aircraft to the Delta fleet (787 delivery deferment), to subsidized aircraft purchase for foreign airlines by the US government, to baggage fees, airline profitability and frequent flyer miles (spoiler alert – he does not have any).
Boeing says a 747-8 Intercontinental launched the model’s Performance Improvement Package (PIP) flight test program with a mission flown on 20 May 2013. Equipped with what Boeing is calling enhanced GE engines, the PIP is intended to improve the fuel efficiency of the 747-8.
Air India Flight AI 403 was forced to make an unscheduled landing at Bhopal after the pilot in command was locked out of the cockpit. The incident apparently took place 13 May 2013 on flight scheduled from Delhi to Bangalore.
Welcome to AeroSpaceNews.com, the world's first aerospace news website and a pioneer of internet news.
The editor is a former staff photojournalist at industry leader Flight International Magazine.
He also served as staff Aerospace Expert at KFWB Newsradio, contributed multiple cover stories to Aviation Week and Space Technology, along with on-camera and behind the scenes expertise to programs on the Military Channel, the History Channel, and the Discovery Channel.