Crazymonkey, just as with courtney you make assumptions, ie that this was Controlled Flight into Terrain. How can you be so sure? Evidence has been given on this thread of another Chinook, that had mystifyingly gone out of control, thankfully control was regained, only to result in no technical clues as to what had happened. I'm not saying that is what happened here, I just don't know! With respect how can you? As to the flight profile chosen for this flight I leave it to others better qualified than I in SH operation. In my book all SLF are high value, as I'm sure they were in the minds of these pilots. They may well have made errors, but this finding in the absence of proof positive was unjust.You speak I assume as one of the families. If so you have my deepest sympathy. I cannot imagine though that such loss can be lightened by an added injustice. Given that the aircraft was not fit for purpose, in that it lacked airworthiness, responsibility for the "SLF" being placed in it lay much further up the food chain than its pilots.