Capt. Andrew Norris, the officer overseeing the hearings on the homicide charges against Coast Guard Lt Lance Leone, has recommended the charges be dropped.
In short, since the helicopter was being piloted by Lt. Sean Krueger, who was killed in the crash, Norris said there was no way to know what his reaction would have been to any inputs by Leone. Leone’s failure or inability to influence the pilot to avoid the crash Read more
The US Coast Guard pilot charged with negligent homicide for the 2010 crash of his helicopter has faced his Article 32 hearing. Lt. Lance Leone was the sole survivor of the crash, which occurred when the helicopter hit a 1,900-foot unmarked wire span. The lead investigator said the wires were improperly marked, but even so, the helicopter should never have been that low.
Capt. Timothy Heitsch…said that as an aviator, he did not believe the lines were marked in a way they could have been seen…
The helicopter hit Read more
In a somewhat unusual turn of events, the co-pilot (and lone survivor) of a 2010 Coast Guard helicopter crash has been charged with two counts of negligent homicide and other UCMJ violations.
[Lt. Lance] Leone was one of two pilots flying the MH-60 Jayhawk, which crashed off La Push. The crash killed all three other passengers on board.
In addition to the negligent homicide charges, Leone faces two counts of dereliction of duty and destruction of government property, Kip Wadlow, a Coast Guard spokesman, said.
The helicopter flew into power lines Read more
US Navy Lt Haji “Omar” Shareef, a helicopter pilot, was interviewed recently on his ability to adhere to the religious tenets of Ramadan while being a military pilot. (Video below the fold.)
While he says Muslims can largely do their duties, he notes they do ask for accommodations such as not doing physical training during the day, since they cannot drink water between sunrise and sunset.
On his part, as a pilot, he “puts himself on Read more
In Blackhawk Down, the dramatized events of the 1993 assault on Mogadishu, US Army Blackhawk Super 61 is struck by an RPG and begins spinning to the surface. As the alarms blare and the helicopter loses altitude, the pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Cliff Wolcott, calmly asks his co-pilot, CWO Donovan Briley, to silence the annoying caution lights:
“Hey, Bull, you want to pull those PCLs off-line or what?”
The pilot knew his capabilities; he knew the status of his aircraft. He likely knew he was about to die; yet his voice was calm and procedural, betraying not a hint of emotion.
In perhaps the most widely watched example in recent history, American Airlines pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger calmly told the taken-aback Air Traffic Controllers
“we’re going to be in the Hudson.”
By all accounts, the crew was calm and methodical as it executed its emergency procedures, saving the lives of all on board.
How can pilots be so stoic during life-threatening catastrophes that might bring screams and panic from others? Read more
Several major news outlets have reported on the “leaked” video of what appears to be a US helicopter gun attack on civilians. News of the video has been distributed under the “collateral murder” moniker. Reportedly, a Reuters photographer and driver were killed, as were about a dozen others in a small group. A van subsequently comes to the scene and is also fired upon; in the van were two children who were wounded.
While not exclusively a fighter pilot topic, the video does shed some light into an area not often discussed in the public eye. There are times when Read more
The first response to “How do I become a fighter pilot?” in the US military is always the same: get a bachelor’s degree. Both the Air Force and Navy require their pilots to be commissioned officers; in order to be an officer, candidates must have college degrees (though it matters little which one they have).
By contrast, the Army has a program that can take applicants directly from “high school to flight school.” Many Army helicopter pilots are Warrant Officers, which Read more