okikuma
Member
Exactly Bryan. The reason why the Army is performing a stand down. To review if any deviation from training and/or if any external factors has contributed to the increase of recent accidents and deaths. What Army Aviators do in preparation for and during combat is very dangerous and it is always sad when good lives are lost. Especially when the external and negative actions/behaviors can be definitively recognized and a mitigation plan is implemented for future accident prevention.I haven't read the preliminary report but I will make a few general comments. 1) Two jets flying in tight formation can escape death if they "bump wings" in flight. They are usually much higher than helicopters and they have ejection seats. 2) Helicopters are much more dangerous when flying in formation because their wingtips that are likely to get bumped together are converging at 1000 MPH and if they lightly touch, the tailboom instantly snaps off and 5 seconds later, everyone is dead. The helicopters usually fly within 10 seconds of Earth, and occupants cannot eject.
As an ARMY trained helicopter pilot, I think NVG flying is about as dangerous as the last 80 seconds of a night carrier landing in a jet, and it doesn't end. You just fly and fly and fly some-more.
Lastly, because of lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has made training more intense, more challenging, and more realistic. These pilots died while doing what they loved and they never had a chance to even get scared. May they rest in peace and may their families always be reminded that their loved ones died as a hero.
The lack of situational awareness by ignoring or blocking out all external awareness of activity around one's own self while intensely focusing on with tunnel vision an object with pretty little colored pictures that has developed into a learned behavior and lifestyle is not the sole answer for all accidents. It is a growing contributing factor in many major accidents within and outside of aviation.
A SoCal Metrolink passenger train collides head on with a Union Pacific freight train because the Metrolink Engineer was texting.
A Welsh Public Service video on the dangers of distracted driving.
Distracted walking
Texting while flying.
Wayne