Japan Mid Air SH-60K

[megan]

Eight fatal

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/3271/

[jolihokistix]

Fairly big news here.
The sea is very deep there. Both flight recorders were found almost immediately, suggesting they were floating near the crash site, although the news has not as far as I am aware specified this fact.

[Lonewolf_50]

In the exercise, the helicopters hover at low altitude and drop a device called a sonar into the sea. The MSDF says two to three helicopters usually work together, and they sometimes fly in close proximity depending on the situation. In this drill, six helicopters, eight ships, and one sub took part. The two aircraft that crashed were hovering in the area.

Although flying at night can be dangerous due to reduced visibility, the pilots were not wearing night vision goggles because the devices increase the difficulty of taking off and landing from a destroyer.
Night ASW exercises.

[KiwiNedNZ]

Although flying at night can be dangerous due to reduced visibility, the pilots were not wearing night vision goggles because the devices increase the difficulty of taking off and landing from a destroyer.

I would have thought all military pilots use NVG at night ??

[Blackhawk9]

Quote:
Although flying at night can be dangerous due to reduced visibility, the pilots were not wearing night vision goggles because the devices increase the difficulty of taking off and landing from a destroyer.

I would have thought all military pilots use NVG at night ??

I agree with Ned , all the Seahawk ops I've seen the crews wore NVG's , the loss of the MH-60R off the back of the HMAS Brisbane was because of NVG's when someone on the ship inadvertently turned on the flight deck spotlights when it was approaching to land under NVG's.

[Lala Steady]

If the destroyer doesn't have NVG compatible lighting then it would make it more diffcult but not impossible.

[KiwiNedNZ]

would make it more diffcult but not impossible.

Isnt that what a well trainied military aviator does - the difficult and sometimes the impossible ???

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The problem is that their rules might not permit NVG helo ops from a non-NVG lit ship. I know it can be done as I did it training pilots a few years ago in the Falklands - the ship was not NVG compatible but I wore NVG anyway as it is so dark out there especially over the water.