Series in works for 18 months

Sidebar to Part 1

Many of the newspaper's findings are based on information from the military's own records, obtained through more than 150 requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act. The federal law gives citizens access to government records.

Using the law, the newspaper obtained several computer databases from the safety centers that investigate aviation accidents for the Army, Air Force and Navy, which is also responsible for investigating Marine Corps accidents. The databases, which have never before been released to the public, contained hundreds of thousands of records on more than 87,500 military aviation incidents that occurred since the 1970s.

The databases released to the newspaper included information typically kept secret by the services, including the identity of parts suspected of playing roles in accidents. The newspaper used the databases to link a single part to more than one accident.

The newspaper also obtained dozens of lengthy records of aviation accident reports from military offices around the world.

More than 150 people were interviewed in 13 states. Among those interviewed were pilots and other crew members, mechanics, civilian and military accident investigators, military commanders and attorneys.

The newspaper received technical advice from former and current military mechanics, pilots, accident investigators and other aviation experts.

Among the experts used by the newspaper was former Army helicopter pilot Edward Monhollen, who worked for the Army Safety Center investigating accidents.

Monhollen, a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, now investigates military and civilian aviation accidents for the federal government and private attorneys through his aviation investigation firm in San Antonio, Edward Mohhollen & Associates.