Pilot error blamed in July C-17 crash

**ms1600** · 12-13-10, 03:35 PM

Pilot error blamed in July C-17 crash: Military | adn.com

Chilling video included at the website. It shows from takeoff to just before the crash. There's a reason for flight parameters and unfortunately these 4 gentlemen lost their lives.

**IMGreat101** · 12-15-10, 07:55 PM

prayers for all families

air show or not, that looked like suicide

**StoleIt** · 12-15-10, 11:33 PM

That definitely wasn't suicide.

Just a big error in judgement trying to make that turn.

**ms1600** · 12-16-10, 06:20 PM

Not suicide. The pilot was overconfident and should not have made that turn at that altitude. He may have recovered if he was at a higher altitude.

**StoleIt** · 12-16-10, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by ms1600

Not suicide. The pilot was overconfident and should not have made that turn at that altitude. He may have recovered if he was at a higher altitude.

The altitude wasn't the problem. It was the angle of bank. The guy was practicing for an airshow, so of course he wasn't going to be up at FL180.

What people seem to be finding odd is that he cleans up the jet right before that last turn. If he had kept the slats/flaps down his stall speed would have still been lower and he might have been able to make that turn. But without accelerating a bunch his stall speed would shoot up with a bank like that, thus the stall.

But for large airplanes, a nose over stall could take 10k to recover.

There is a story of a B-52 stalling at FL280 and they recovered at 11k.