Originally Posted by
tartare View Post
Peripheral but related question - and I realise outcomes can vary according to circumstances.
I'm prompted to ask by the references to `career-ending'.
If one crashes a jet, but doesn't kill anyone else and is ruled by a board of inquiry to be responsible through negligence - broadly what happens?
Does a court martial follow - and then a discharge from the respective service?
If that happens - is it dishonorable?
Or do you remain simply get transferred to some lowly, obscure non-flying role?
Do you lose rank?
The black mark would hang over you.
I'm thinking of that pilot... there are a lot of rumours circulating that it was one of the young women inducted to fly the F-35.
If so, I can only imagine the scorn circulating in some parts of the Navy.
Even if it was a pilot cockup - I hope these days there'd be a degree of support while the process was unfolding - as a proud professional military aviator regardless of gender- you'd feel absolutely devastated.
Could depend, Ernie Christensen flew the F-4 in the #4 position for the Blue Angels, made an unintentional gear up landing (ie forgot the wheels) and ejected at an air show, so the crowd got their monies worth. he went on to be Commanding Office for TOPGUN, the USS Kansas City, and the USS Ranger amongst others and retired in 1997. Today, Christensen is open to sharing his experience, as he wants it to be used as a learning for future aviators.