U-2 Pilot Crash Story Disputed, Calif. Press-Enterprise retracts

iMediaEthics publishes international media ethics news stories and investigations into journalism ethics lapses.

Menu

Home » Apologies & Retractions»

(Credit: US Air Force)

The Press-Enterprise retracted a November story about a former U-2 pilot’s experiences after it wasn’t able to confirm they were real. Unfortunately, the newspaper’s fact check of the former pilot’s claims only occurred after publication.

The Press-Enterprise is a daily newspaper in Riverside, California with a circulation of about 131,000, according to Mondo Times. U-2 planes were spy planes used by the CIA starting in the 1950s. The planes flew at high altitudes to avoid detection.

The Nov. 11 story in question was a profile about a former U-2 pilot named Cliff Beeler and his time in the service.  The Press-Enterprise admitted it didn’t verify all of Beeler’s account before publication.

The newspaper said it tried to ask Beeler about the challenges to his story. However, Beeler wouldn’t discuss them and his son dismissed the issues.  According to the Press-Enterprise, “[his son] blamed the confusion on poor record-keeping by the unit and the classified nature of the activities.”

The story is no longer on the Press-Enterprise’s website. A copy of the original story appears to be published on the AirlinePilotForums.com website with the byline Mark Muckenfuss and the headline “RIVERSIDE: U-2 pilot remembers close calls.” Muckenfuss is a reporter for the Press-Enterprise.

The Press-Enterprise retraction states:

“While the events he recounted — the crash of a U-2 plane in 1962 and the landing of a U-2 on an aircraft carrier — did occur, Beeler was not the pilot involved in those instances, according to interviews with people who have knowledge of the incidents. During initial reporting, The Press-Enterprise verified that Beeler was a U-2 pilot, but not the experiences he described.”

After the story’s publication, the Press-Enterprise heard from “multiple sources” including “former pilots in the program” who said Beeler told stories that “involved other pilots and other planes.” For example, Beeler said he was in a plane crash over a swamp. But, a U-2 historian told the Press-Enterprise the pilot who crashed was actually Chuck Stratton. Stratton confirmed that he was the person who crashed in that incident.

“That story (Beeler) tells of the plane crash in the swamp and someone hanging in the tree,” Stratton is quoted as saying. “That was me.”

One of the commenters on AirlinePilotForums.com questioned Beeler’s story writing “to [sic] many inconsistencies.”

Another commenter, “HuggyU2,” wrote in that he contacted the reporter Muckenfuss about the article and his concerns over the accuracy. “I wrote the author, primarily to let him know that the description of how we climb, how altitude affects stalls, and how the sound barrier shock wave that breaks up the jet are all incorrect. He did write me back, and ask for my input. That’s a first, so I like this reporter.”

iMediaEthics has written to the Press-Enterprise’s editor Michael Coronado for more information. We’ll update with any response.

CORRECTION - March 12, 2014 02:54 PM

This story’s headline originally referred to the pilot being from WWII. The pilot in question discussed his flights in the 1960s. Thanks to Jeremy Wessel for pointing out the error.

Submit a tip / Report a problem

U-2 Pilot Crash Story Disputed, Calif. Press-Enterprise retracts

Share this article:

คาสิโน
สล็อต
sa gaming
tkb365
https://tkb399.com/login
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทำความรู้จักกับ
PG
สล็อต
tkb138
sa gaming
https://www.hotelplayagolf.com/es/instalaciones/piscinas
tkb365
บาคาร่า
สล็อตเว็บตรง
บาคาร่า
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
สล็อตเว็บตรง
สล็อตเว็บตรง
tkb138
ซุปเปอร์สล็อต
tkb138
tkb365
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
changbet789
สูตรสล็อต pg ทดลองเล่นฟรี
สล็อต ดาวน์โหลด รับเครดิตฟรี
สล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
tkb138
https://www.hotelalbora.com/
https://tkb108.co/register
tkb696
สล็อตเว็บตรง
changbet789
สล็อตทดลอง
pg
betflix
pg slot
สล็อต
pg slot
สล็อตเว็บจริง100%
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
sbobet
ดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
tkb138
https://titanium-hotel.com/
สล็อต
tkb138
taokaebet
tkb777
อันดับแรก
คาสิโน
changbet789
แจกเครดิตฟรี 100%
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตทุกค่ายฟรี
สล็อต
changbet789
tkb365
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
changbet789
finfinbet
คาสิโน
changbet789
tkb108
tkbneko
สล็อตเว็บตรง
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อต
https://www.gday96.com/
สล็อต888
สล็อต
PG
บาคาร่าเว็บตรง
changbet789
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
ทดลองเล่นสล็อตฟรี
tkb365
tkb365
tkb365
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkb555
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
tkbking
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
thb889
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb4
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb9
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
tkb33
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
finfinbet
TKB96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkb96
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbfun
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpg
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbpussy
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbrich
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkbsexy
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
tkb777
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
taokaebet
tkbsexy
tkbrich
tkbpussy
tkbpg
tkbfun
tkb96
tkb33
tkb9
tkb4
thb889
tkbking
tkb555
tkb365
changbet789
บาคาร่า
คาสิโนออนไลน์
sa gaming
คาสิโนออนไลน์สด
สล็อต
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต pg ซื้อฟรีสปิน
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
บาคาร่า
สล็อต เว็บตรงไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ
ทดลองเล่นสล็อต
สล็อต