The thing to remember is that, in the military, pilot error accidents are directly tied to the operational demands of the system, so that the CAPABILITIES of the aviation system is directly tied to the FAILURE rate of the system. In other words, we crank up the capability until accidents start happening too often, then we drop back one notch.
The typical "normal" US Army operation involves night, NVG operations in uncharted terrain, with formation and sling loads. You can call a mishap in that environment an "accident" if you wish, but in fact, it is statistically predicted and grudgingly anticipated.
To compare these events with civil accidents is unfair and unwise. Recall that the military has to make the Hobson's choice of deciding how many lives a beach or a hill must cost. Watch the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan again to get my point.
Last edited by NickLappos; 14th April 2006 at 16:44.