Many years ago, I worked with a Physicist, who had a flat mate who worked as a Psychologist at the Department of Aviation Medicine. Farnborough I think. Apparently he was peripherally connected in an 'incident' that involved at least four RAF Jaguar pilots.
The Jaguar outfit were taking part in (I think) 'Red Flag', the then big annual Air Exercise in Nevada. The team set off on a bombing mission in their usual formation until they were 'jumped' by some Air National Guard F16's. Jag's being Jag's, they did what Jag's did in the circumstance and they 'vanished into the weeds', leaving the disappointed ANG still mooching around above a thousand feet. The team complete their bombing mission without further intervention and return to base.
Upon landing, they are confronted by their CO and the Station Commander in high dudgeon and a County Sheriff who is apoplectic and approaching critical mass. He complained that these 'God Damn Limey flyboys had frightened the juice out of one of his deputies driving along a desert highway and torn down several hundred yards of telegraph wires!'
The pilots immediately and unequivocally denied ever having flown low enough for such a thing and were quite genuinely shocked. However, examination of some of the aircraft showed the inescapable evidence. Yards of telegraph wire hanging from several of the airframes. Worse, it was hanging from the vertical stabiliser!
An inquiry was ordered, the pilots grounded and it looked bleak indeed for their careers, but all four insisted they had done nothing wrong. Back in the UK my friend's friend became involved and interviewed the aircrews several times. All claimed they had been comfortable, flying in relatively simple terrain at the usual peacetime exercise altitude which, the Psychologist was interested to learn, was achieved visually. There is little time to consult instruments at that speed and height. After more research and a brain twisting change of thinking, he had the answer.
RAF fast jet pilots train in the UK and northern Europe and reference their height to the trees, many of which stand a hundred to a hundred and twenty feet tall in huge forests. From the cockpit, at 250 feet, the trees look "this high".
The problem is; there
are no trees in Nevada - only Mesquite and that is "this high!"
The pilot's were admonished not to do it again and returned to flying - a major psychology lesson learned.
Landroger