US Air Force Missile Carrier Flips in North Dakota

Payload transporter for Minuteman III ICBM (Air Force photo.)

News in Balance:

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D., July 31, 2008 -- An enclosed missile transport vehicle, assigned to the 91st Missile Wing, en route to a launch facility tipped on its side on a gravel access road this morning between the towns of Makoti and Parshall.

The vehicle, which carried an unarmed Minuteman III booster , tipped on its side at 8:20 a.m. (CST) on County Road 24 near Makoti, approximately 70 miles southwest of Minot. No one was injured in the accident, except for a few minor bumps and bruises.

"There is no danger to public safety, and local fire department and base emergency officials responded quickly and professionally," said Col. Christopher Ayres, 91st Missile Wing commander. "We're taking every possible precaution to minimize environmental and safety risks and we ask the public to avoid the accident scene."

Experts are en route to right the vehicle. As a precaution, the local police and fire department is on-scene, as are base security forces, fire department, and safety members.

The accident is being investigated. More information will be provided as it becomes available.

(From a U.S. Air Force news release.)

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