The State - News from Feb. 27, 1986

Airman 1st Class Bruce D. Ott, accused of trying to pass defense information to the Soviet Union, has waived his right to a pretrial hearing. The decision of whether to begin court-martial proceedings against Ott is in the hands of Lt. Gen. James E. Light, commander of the 15th Air Force, the Air Force said. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Light could dismiss the charges or allow another commander to decide the matter. Ott remains in confinement at Beale Air Force Base in California. Ott, 25, was arrested Jan. 22 in Davis, Calif., by FBI and Air Force security agents on charges of trying to pass information to a Soviet agent. Authorities have refused to disclose details but say the arrest was made before information actually changed hands. Ott was an administrative clerk with the secret SR-71 spy plane squadron at Beale. Dubbed the Blackbird, the plane can fly to the edge of space at three times the speed of sound and is equipped with sophisticated cameras.