Report blames U.S. pilots (Canadian BOI, Tarnak Farm, Afghanistan)

Canadian Press via Sun Media ^ | June 28, 2002 | John Ward

[Clive]

OTTAWA (CP) -- Two American fighter pilots were "the direct cause" of a bombing tragedy that killed four Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan in April, say Canadian and U.S. reports released Friday.

"Canadian troops conducting the live-fire exercise followed all appropriate procedures and regulations," Defence Minister John McCallum told a news conference.

Investigators also determined that "the two American pilots contravened established procedures and were the direct cause of the incident."

Two U.S. fighter planes were returning to base after what was described as a long patrol in the wee hours of April 18 when they saw what looked like fireworks on the ground and believed it to be ground- to-air fire, said the report.

They asked for and were denied permission to attack, yet proceeded to drop a 250-kilogram laser-guided bomb on Canadian troops participating in a live-fire night exercise.

Maurice Baril, the retired general who led the Canadian inquiry, said the Canadians did everything in accordance with the rules, including notifying American military officials of their whereabouts and activities.

The actions of the pilots, said Baril, "represented a failure of airmanship and technique for the wingman and a failure of leadership for the flight leader."

The U.S. inquiry cited the two F-16 pilots for "inappropriate use of force."

The American inquiry also noted failures by the pilots' "immediate command structures" were contributing factors, but the Canadian report refused to touch this issue.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told a news conference in Tampa, Fla., that the cause of the deadly accident was "the failure of the two pilots to exercise appropriate flight discipline."

DeLong said the investigators determined that the lead pilot reported seeing what looked like "fireworks" on the ground and believed it was hostile fire. The pilot requested and received permission to determine the precise co-ordinates of the fire.

The second F-16 pilot then requested permission to fire his 20 mm cannon at the target, but an AWACS airborne control plane in the vicinity instructed him to "hold fire." That pilot then declared that he was "rolling-in in self-defence" and released the bomb.

One of the F-16 pilots has been identified as Maj. Harry Schmidt of the Illinois Air National Guard's 170th Fighter Squadron. The other pilot's identity has not been revealed.

Schmidt's lawyer, U.S. air force Capt. James Keys said Friday he would not comment until he reviews the reports.

"In the interim, my client and I respectfully decline all offers for interviews," he said.

Keys had released a statement shortly after the incident saying the pilot didn't know the ground troops were part of the U.S.-led coalition.

"The pilot believes that he properly followed procedures based on the information he had at the time," he said.

DeLong wouldn't say what kind of disciplinary action was recommended by the investigation board.

Though he declined to say whether the F-16 pilots had been told in advance that the Canadian troops were conducting live-fire training in the area, DeLong did say: "All pilots are briefed prior to every mission."

The four soldiers killed in the accident were members of the 3rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based near Edmonton. Eight Canadian soldiers were also wounded in the incident.

The deaths were the Canadian military's first in a combat zone since the Korean War, when 516 soldiers were killed, though 78 Canadians serving with the U.S. military died during the Vietnam War. The United Nations says 106 Canadian troops have died during U.N. peacekeeping missions since 1948.

[Clive]

"The American inquiry also noted failures by the pilots' "immediate command structures" were contributing factors, but the Canadian report refused to touch this issue."

While I have not seen the US BOI Executive Summary, I am assuming that there were some issues arising about the communications between the F16s and the AWACS.

[onedoug]

Incredibly difficult jobs.

God Bless the Forces of Our Freedom afield.

[Rokke]

One issue that is very clear is that the pilot involved was one of the most experienced and qualified pilots in the US military. He had only just recently left the Navy to join the National Guard. He has hundreds of hours of combat time. Despite that, the Board's conclusions make it clear that no one is immune from errors in judgement. Everybody makes mistakes. Unfortunately, some mistakes are much more costly than others.
The families of the Canadians who were killed in this incident have shown an amazing amount of class. They didn't need a 90 day board of inquiry to reach the conclusions the board did.
There are a lot of issues involved here, and obviously the most important is insuring lives aren't lost in a similar manner in the future. But I don't know how you avoid something like this. Initial claims that the pilot involved was an inexperienced hot dog have proven completely false. He is probably the most qualified and highly trained pilot flying in the most highly trained military in the world. He made a mistake, and lives were lost. It will happen again, unfortunately.