Even the qualified and proficient screw up, sometimes! The accident (factory test-) pilot must have been world-class in terms of mastery of his particular aircraft. It seems he just got it a bit wrong in putting said aircraft on the wrong flight path, towards a towering obstruction he obviously knew was elsewhere. Could we sum that up as 'Jeder macht ein bisschen Dummheit'? (Everyone screws up sometimes.)
It reads, so far, like 'Duck under the clouds, give the peeps a nice ride to a remote location... Sorted!' Who among us has not done something similar?
The pilot obviously thought he knew exactly what he was doing, showing a very high level of self-confidence/low level of self-doubt; that's a typical mind-set for a test pilot with the 'Right Stuff.' Someone closer to a mere mortal might not have made the same mistake, I think. I bet when we get the final report we will see how nearly he got it right, only just managing to hit the high terrain.
Last edited by chuks; 26th Jun 2012 at 09:59.