The United States Marine Corps says the commander of an EA-6B attack jet squadron has been relieved of duty in connection with the investigation of a cable car tragedy that killed 20 people in Italy.

The officer, Lt. Col. Stephen Watters, was not the commander of the squadron of EA-6Bs based in Aviano that was involved in the incident on February 4. But his squadron had previously been assigned to the region, the corps said.

Watters was relieved of duty at the Marine Corps air station in Cherry Point, North Carolina, last week after a video taken from an EA-6B about seven months ago indicated he had also flown below the regulated altitude in northern Italy, Marine Corps officials said.

It was a Prowler from another squadron at Aviano which hit wires at the resort of Cavalese, sending a cable car plunging into the valley below.

Twenty people died in the disaster

A report in the New York Times alleged that Colonel Watters had asked his crew members to erase or hand over to him any video recordings they made of low-altitude flights which might be used in the investigation into the incident.

A spokesman at the Aviano base would not comment on the report.

Colonel Watters' squadron is one of four which operate from the base in rotation.

The US military has already admitted that the plane which caused the accident was flying too low.

The incident has sparked popular anger in Italy and caused friction between the governments of the two countries. The Italian Government complained of delays in handing over the aircraft's flight data recorder.

President Clinton has promised a full investigation into the incident, and the US Defence Secretary, William Cohen, has said NATO should review its rules governing low-altitude flights.

However, there have been calls in Italy for a complete ban on such flights.

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