Cermis tragedy pilot promoted -- can this be true?

[Boomer]

Just heard this from an Italian friend of mine:

"The man who piloted the US Airforce plane that in 1998 struck a skilift in Italy (the Cermis tragedy) killing 20 people has been promoted to major!

"He flew his plane several thousands feet lower than his orders allowed, passing under the wires and touched one. After the fact he landed and against every order and procedure destroyed the tapes with the recorded data of the flight. Immediately after he was sent to the USA, just minutes before the Italian police arrived. He was then tried militarily in the USA and found guilty only of a minor misconduct for destroying the tape, and got off with a reproach."

News posted in the Italian press:
http://www.tgcom.it/ArticoloTgCom/articoli/articolo145786.shtml

It's in Italian, but basically says that Chandler P. Seagraves has been promoted and that a Green MP is very angry because of what he considers a 'slap to the victims'.

Has anyone heard an English news confirmation of this?

--Boomer

[trotsky]

1. Whoa

As if that tragedy weren't bad enough. For merely disobeying orders he should have been severely disciplined. The fact that innocent civilians were killed because of it should have meant his dishonorable discharge.

[theHandpuppet]

2. Yes, that's what I thought would happen, too

A dishonorable discharge, that is. But a friggin' promotion??!!! If this is true, it is a slap in the face to the victim's families. I hope our own media picks up on this story.