At the same time as the shooting was going on, on the mountainside, Sergeant William McCracken from Pittsburgh, KS was inside the launch control console of a Chaparral Missile Battery in the valley was rotating his console according to directions supplied by his uphill observer (the operator in the launch console could not see out at night because of the reflections on the Plexiglas's bubble from the instruments on his control panel). Up until that point, McCracken had not painted anything on his radar screen. When he had rotated to the 10 o'clock position (a heading of about 300 degrees), Sgt. McCracken saw a green light flashing on his console and heard a warbling tone indicating an infra-red signature lock-on. After tuning adjustments, the sergeant pushed the "launch" button and a bright fire ignited on one of the launch rails as a Chaparral Antiaircraft Missile streaked skyward.

The missile climbed to about 900 feet (near the minimum operating altitude of the missile), found the flying object, moved along side of it, turned close in front of it, and detonated its 75 pounds of high explosives warhead. (The Chaparral, designed to bring down conventional aircraft with cockpits near the front. always moved to the front of a target before detonating so as to potentially kill the pilots and disable a plane's engines by shutting off their air.)

The gunners and observers on the two mountain sides, missile crews in the valley, and anyone else not currently known about, saw the target start wobbling and then stop forward motion and finally wobble downward to the valley floor in what the observers believe was a controlled descent.

The cannon and missile crews were ordered to immediately drive their artillery back to the Ramstein Air Force Base Motor Pool, which was highly unusual because the artillery was normally stored in its own area for rapid reuse if needed. The crews were also told not to take time to pick up their expended brass - also highly unusual. The crews were told to quickly get the cannons and missile launchers to the motor pool and go right to bed and not to talk to each other about the incident and they would have the next day off.

As the crews were packing, they noticed Air Force Personnel moving into the valley to secure the crash (or landing?) site.

As is expected when someone is ordered not to talk about something, the men couldn't wait to talk about what they had seen once they got back to the barracks. Specialist Thomas swore he was shooting at a MIG-25 and Sergeant Yonts held fast that it was not an airplane at all and neither could the other. Sergeant McCracken from the Chaparral mount said that for all he knew he could have shot down the Oscar Meyer "Wiener Wagon".

At the same time as the American Soldiers were shooting at something in Germany, other events were set in motion in the United States. Major Mike Andrews, from Silver Spring, MD, had spent a week on ready alert duty at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, while his C141 Starlifter sat nearby, serviced and pre-flighted daily. The major was awaiting orders that would send him and his crew winging off to they knew not where. Now this was unusual because a transport like the C141 was not exactly a B52 bomber.

About 2025 hours (8:25 p.m. EDT), 1:45 in Germany, Major Andrews' waiting was over as he was handed typed orders. Quickly gathering together his crew, checking the weather, and filing a flight plan. Major Andrews and his crew were airborne at 2100 and flying south Southwest. About 2200, they landed at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. An Air Force Brigadier general and a 50ish civilian bearing CIA identification met them.