green granite
For some reason, the different formations flown by the F15s and the Tornados does not feature at all in the BOI report. Why not ? This is highly significant in both what was seen by eye-witnesses and how the aircraft impacted (very Close formation). The thrust of the entire BOI report (including all annexes) is that there was only one way that this accident occurred.
I can not stand up and categoriacally say exactly what happened in this tragic accident (unlike the BOI). I would guess that the accident occurred in 'whiteout' conditions.....not necessarily in strict IMC as it is an optical illusion. Please read the BOI report in detail and you will find that they often present assumptions as fact in how the F15 crew flew and conducted their descent profile to a straight line impact in IMC despite contrary Met information both from ground and airborne observation.
Without the vital timeline to associate the accident, we will never know what occurred. So where does that leave us ? In my very humble position.... where we should not be pointing the finger of blame........ on either side. Major Scott Chamberlain (USAF Ret'd) is absolutely right.
How strange that the USAF has never done this but the RAF hiearchy continues to do so (please read the comments written by the Air Ranking officers as part of this BOI procedure). I read these comments as attaching blame to the controller involved and being contrary to BOI procedure.
The fact that this very tragic accident occurred very closely after a similar accident in Pristina leads me to assume that certain pressures were applied.......hence the Court Martial that almost everyone seems to concede was completely unjustified. Will the guilty man stand up ??