I've never witnessed a fatal air crash, but as a former long time volunteer in a country town SES rescue unit I've attended many fatal MVAs, where I've arrived at the scene to find the occupants of a vehicle dead, or watched them die shortly after I've arrived. I've also dredged a couple of riverbeds for deceased persons.
Other than the very first fatal prang I attended, none have really stuck with me; I certainly remember them all, but I don't find myself dwelling on them. I arrive at a prang pumped full of adrenaline in "get the job done" mode with an expectation of what I'm about to see, and don't really connect with the situation at the time. This "forewarning" probably helps.
That said, I've witnessed one air crash involving a good mate that could well have been fatal, but thankfully wasn't, where said mate hit a powerline in his ultralight and was dropped straight into the ground. He was OK in the end after a week or two in hospital, but I was pretty unsettled for several weeks afterwards. The fact I knew the bloke, and wasn't expecting to see that him crash right in front of my eyes without any real warning was what probably made the difference.
Last edited by bankrunner; 28th Oct 2013 at 09:41.