Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 It's been a while since WW went toe to toe with the U.S. Air Force--but our faith in the flying brass was again shaken this week with the release of a Pentagon report on the King-56 disaster, issued by Department of Defense Acting Inspector General Donald Mancuso. The report denied even the appearance of a conflict of interest in the unusual career trajectory of retired Major General Bobby O. Floyd--the former Air Force investigator who wound up working for the defense contractor he was supposed to investigate. On Nov. 22, 1996, an Air Force Reserve C-130 transport plane, known by its call sign King-56, plunged into the Pacific Ocean, killing 10 Portland-area reservists. Only the radio operator survived. After two investigations, the Air Force concluded that the plane's four engines suffered "fuel starvation" and that operator error was the most likely cause. But a WW inquiry ("Why Did These 10 Men Die?," June 18, 1997) found serious flaws in the investigation and unearthed internal AF memos that suggested the C-130 engines may have contained a manufacturing defect. After the WW story appeared, Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith convinced the Air Force to conduct a far-ranging safety review of the entire C-130 fleet. Floyd oversaw the inquiry. Soon after the review was completed, however, Floyd retired from the Air Force and took a $145,000 job with Lockheed Martin--the very company that manufactured the C-130. According to Mancuso's report, Floyd began exploring employment options with Lockheed as early as Oct. 22, 1998, while the safety review was still under way. The inspector general nonetheless decided that there was no conflict of interest because the results of the review would not have a "direct and predictable effect" on Lockheed's bottom line. Wyden, who called for the inspector general's report, was dismayed by the conclusions. "Only in Washington, D.C., can a general investigate a defense contractor's product while simultaneously seeking a six-figure salary from that same company without creating an obvious conflict of interest," he said in a press release issued last week. "Once again, a military investigation into this tragedy fails to pass the smell test." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published March 15, 2000