Friday November 20 6:27 PM ET

Tornado Meteorologist Fujita Dies

CHICAGO (AP) -Tetsuya Fujita, a University of Chicago meteorologist who devised the standard for measuring the strength of tornadoes and discovered microbursts and their link to plane crashes, has died at 78.

Fujita, known as ``Mr. Tornado'' after developing the international standard for measuring tornado severity, died Thursday after a lengthy illness.

Fujita also discovered microbursts - sudden, severe downdrafts that can result in 150 mph winds on or near the ground - after studying the starburst patterns of trees uprooted by tornadoes.

He blamed microbursts for the 1975 Eastern Airlines Flight 66 crash at New York's Kennedy Airport. The discovery, controversial for years before it became accepted among meteorologists, led to installation of Doppler radar at airports to improve safety.

Fujita did not trust computers to help conduct his analyses, preferring to do it himself, Chicago meteorologist Duane Stiegler said.

``He used to say that the computer doesn't understand these things,'' Stiegler said.

Born Oct. 23, 1920 in Kitakyushu City, Japan, Fujita earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1943 from Meiji College of Technology and a doctoral degree from Tokyo University in 1953.

In 1953, he joined the University of Chicago as a research associate in the meteorology department. He held a number of positions during his career, most recently working in the Wind Research Laboratory.

Tetsuya Fujita, a University of Chicago meteorologist shown with his tornado simulator in this handout file photo, date unknown, died Thursday, Nov. 19, 1998, after a lengthy illness. He was 78. Fujita, known as "Mr. Tornado" after developing the international standard for measuring tornado severity, also discovered microbursts - sudden, severe downdrafts that can result in 150 mph winds on or near the ground - after studying the starburst patterns of trees uprooted by tornados. (AP Photo/University of Chicago)