military pilots "hot dogging"

[NavyGuy]

VaB,

Those guys did get run through the ringer. The pilot was brought up on charges, convicted and went to jail. For how long I don't know. The right seater was also court-martialed and run out of the service. But I don't think he got any time in the slammer. The back seaters got off relatively light considering. In fact one of them went on to instruct down at NAS P'cola a few years back. It was a bad deal all together but there were some extenuating circumstances. However it doesn't excuse what happened and unfortunately innocent people were killed.

 

[Purpledog]

The pilot was brought up on charges, convicted and went to jail. For how long I don't know.

He was 'convicted' on the charge of obstruction of justice and did 5 mos. He was aquitted on all charges of manslaughter. Nobody else did time at all.This whole thing stunk like bad politics. There was no mishap board because they didn't want the Italians thinking something was being done in secret. They faulted the command, resident Air Force Wing, Defense Mapping (for not depicting gondola). They also had an expert run the same flight in an AF sim under the same conditions and that guy got down to 300-400'agl. I can't remember the specifics on the Ob Justice charge but I think the pilot just looked at the vid and gave it back. From that point it disappeared. I think the Nav even testified that the pilot had nothing to do with it. However it's been a while and those brain cells have been killed long ago.
Vab I'm not sure about a link. I'm sure there is one out there though.

 

[VaB]

I remember at the time hearing about a video that they had of the incident from inside the cockpit or some such thing. And the RUMOR we heard at the time was that the CO of the squadron and some of the other guys saw it and told his guys to get rid of it and destroy it. Don't know how true that is, but it sure did start to sound stinky after a while.