Watched JAG this week and the story line wandered around a female Navy pilot who had lost and engine. She was able to hold the fighter upright long enough for her backseater to eject. Once he was safely out, the plane inverted and she went in with it, losing her life. .
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Anybody remember the earlier accident??
I think both the episode of "JAG" was loosely based on the actual event which concerned an F14-A piloted by Lt. Kara Hultgreen on October 24, 1994 during carrier qualification operation onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) off the coast of San Diego, California.
Listed below are three links about the accident, report, cover-up, and women-in-combat in general:
Mishap Investigation Report on line# 465
The "McNamara-ization" of the U.S. Navy
Women-in-Combat after the Terrorist Attack on America
Bottom line: Average pilot who was good in the A-6, overloaded in F-14A. Pilot error conclusion from MIR:
"MP lost situational awareness, failed to scan AOA, allowed pitch attitude to slowly increase and exceeded maximum controllable AOA of 20 units. At approximately flight deck level, MA stalled, departed controlled flight, and rolled rapidly left."
Most people I talk to would rather remember her as the super pilot hero portayed in the "JAG" episode. I was not aware of the details released in the leaked investigation report but it was about what I thought at the time.
It's a fine line between paranoia and perception.