Tech Insider
Navy EP-3 crew China
The crew of a US Navy EP-3 detained in China board a flight to Guam on April 12, 2001.

US Marine Corps/Staff Sgt. John Giles

  • On April 1, 2001, a US EP-3 spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea.
  • The US plane was forced to land at a Chinese base, giving China access to its sensitive hardware.
  • Author James Bamford details US missteps throughout the incident and their lasting consequences.

The following is an excerpt from James Bamford's new book, "Spyfail: Foreign Spies, Moles, Saboteurs, and the Collapse of America's Counterintelligence."

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Military & Defense Contributors, Military & Defense, International Contributors, International, China, Hainan Island, EP-3, Michael Hayden, James Bamford, Insider book excerpt, Book Excerpt, News Contributor
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Mistakes by the US's top spies allowed China to turn a deadly mid-air collision…