[Decision Concerning Appeal of Claims Group's Determination of Carrier's Indebtedness for Loss of Atomic Clock]

A common carrier appealed the Air Force's offsetting collection for an atomic clock that the carrier allegedly lost, contending that the: (1) Air Force failed to prove that it accepted the shipment; (2) Air Force delayed for nearly 2 years before presenting a claim; (3) Air Force did not identify the clock as an item of unusual value or provide a detailed item description; and (4) claim was excessive. GAO held that the: (1) Air Force established that the carrier accepted the clock for shipment; (2) Air Force reported the claim to the carrier within 10 weeks after the date of shipment; (3) clock was not of unusual value; (4) Air Force properly classified the clock under a general freight classification; and (5) Air Force recovered the reasonable replacement value of the clock. Accordingly, the Air Force's action was sustained.