Your unconfirmed premise is that the pilot and crew were given a direct order to fly this mission, at this time and on this exact route, and you presume that the pilot had no agency -- that he couldn't divert if he felt it was warranted.
I think the more likely contributing factors are youthful overconfidence, combined with guys who were very eager to get home. Pilot overconfidence and bad weather is a sometimes fatal mix. There's a saying in the aviator community: "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots."
I have asked this same question many times since I first heard there was a search aad rescue operation. Who in their right minds ordered those Marines into the helicopter to fly in that horrible horrible weather? I grieve for their loss. I grieve for loved ones and friends of these 5 people. A military tribunal is required ASAP.
20 odd years ago a man I respected in the news business, who never offered his opinion…one day blurted, “I don’t know why Brian isn’t in jail.”
Needless to say, I won’t be voting for Brian.
Your unconfirmed premise is that the pilot and crew were given a direct order to fly this mission, at this time and on this exact route, and you presume that the pilot had no agency -- that he couldn't divert if he felt it was warranted.
I think the more likely contributing factors are youthful overconfidence, combined with guys who were very eager to get home. Pilot overconfidence and bad weather is a sometimes fatal mix. There's a saying in the aviator community: "There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots."
I have asked this same question many times since I first heard there was a search aad rescue operation. Who in their right minds ordered those Marines into the helicopter to fly in that horrible horrible weather? I grieve for their loss. I grieve for loved ones and friends of these 5 people. A military tribunal is required ASAP.