Maj. Troy Gilbert

[frog_flyer]

The report is out:

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123047164


Major Gilbert then conducted a second strafing pass from an extremely low altitude that was not recoverable, impacting the ground

The official cause of the accident was Major Gilbert's "channelized attention manifested by his desire to maintain a constant visual positive identification of targeted enemy vehicles and subsequent target fixation on these vehicles while they were traveling at a high rate of speed," the report said. These two factors, when combined, caused Major Gilbert "to begin, and then press his attack below a recoverable altitude."

rip

 

[AdlerDriver]

The official cause of the accident was Major Gilbert's "channelized attention manifested by his desire to maintain a constant visual positive identification of targeted enemy vehicles and subsequent target fixation on these vehicles while they were traveling at a high rate of speed," the report said. These two factors, when combined, caused Major Gilbert "to begin, and then press his attack below a recoverable altitude."

rip

No big surprise. It's happened many times in the past and will happen again. This one just happened to be over bad guy land.
Sounds like at least he helped out the troops on the ground before he crashed.

 

[TonkaF16]

Cheers to you Trojan, good man, good husband, left behind a great lady and five kids.

We put him through the IPUG and he had a talent for teaching young fighter pilots.

Southwest asked in the interview what I didn't like about flying, this is it, losing a bro in some sh%!hole country

Must be 10 times worse for the Army and Marines.

 

[Birdstrike]

I'm not sure I understand what happened; was it the rate of descent like putting a hammer to a nail or was he straight and level down low and flew into terrain while looking at the target?

 

[SIG600]

Target fixation, started his pull to low.

Word on the street is the AF uses a 75' minalt on your strafing?!?! Unreal. Navy/USMC use 500-1000' depending on conditions.

 

[Fury220]

Target fixation, started his pull to low.

Word on the street is the AF uses a 75' minalt on your strafing?!?! Unreal. Navy/USMC use 500-1000' depending on conditions.

I'm sure Dave Griffin will make some kind of comment about how you forgot 2 zeros there...since the USAF is more "safety minded" than "combat minded" and there's no way that we'd EVER do CAS below 7500'.

 

[guppygoshawk]

Target fixation, started his pull to low.

Word on the street is the AF uses a 75' minalt on your strafing?!?! Unreal. Navy/USMC use 500-1000' depending on conditions.

Easy with the excited tactics postings there killer. Not too big of a deal there (not even close), but know your limits about what to talk about.

 

[Slice121]

The report is out:

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123047164


Major Gilbert then conducted a second strafing pass from an extremely low altitude that was not recoverable, impacting the ground

The official cause of the accident was Major Gilbert's "channelized attention manifested by his desire to maintain a constant visual positive identification of targeted enemy vehicles and subsequent target fixation on these vehicles while they were traveling at a high rate of speed," the report said. These two factors, when combined, caused Major Gilbert "to begin, and then press his attack below a recoverable altitude."

rip

The causes go much deeper than what is stated in this article...and not all F-16 blocks are the same. If they let fighter pilots spend more time being warriors as opposed to pushing papers the outcome may have been different. I worked with Trojan a little over there but never flew with him. Great guy, unfortunately the next time I saw him was at Arlington. RIP.

 

[Huggyu2]

deleted

 

[SIG600]

Easy with the excited tactics postings there killer. Not too big of a deal there (not even close), but know your limits about what to talk about.

All this dry air is making me delerious. That should in no way come off as excited!