VIAGRA LINK INVESTIGATED IN PLANE CRASH

EDGEWATER, Md. (AP)-U.S. federal authorities are investigating whether the
impotence drug Viagra played a role in a plane crash that killed actor
William Gardner Knight.

Knight, 56, appeared in the films Wall Street and Born On The Fourth Of
July. He was killed last Saturday when his light plane crashed in Maryland.

Investigators have asked the state medical examiner to determine whether
Knight was using Viagra.

"Viagra affects pilots' colour vision, possibly impairing their ability to
distinguish between blue and green. These colors are used extensively in
airport lighting and cockpit instrumentation," says Kathryn Creedy of the
Federal Aviation Administration.

Last month, the agency recommended that pilots avoid taking the drug within
six hours of flying because its side effects can include difficulty in
distinguishing certain colours.

Pamela Gemmel, a spokeswoman for Pfizer, the company that makes Viagra,
says that during testing, 3 per cent of men reported "visual disturbances"
that ranged from sensitivity to light to seeing a bluish-green haze.

Checked-by: derek rea