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As any crash is terrible I assume youre responding to the fact that his parents went to see him flying first time and lost him?
I always have thought its the worst thing that can happen to a parent to bury a child (IMHO should be the other way round), but in those circumstances I cannot imagine how it must have felt indeed.
Pilot Error: Navy says aviator failed to counter gravitational forces
SOURCE: Pilot.com, citing The Virginian-Pilot
DATE: JAN 15, 2008
BY: Louis Hansen, News researcher Maureen Watts contributed
Navy says Blue Angel pilot didn't tense muscles before crash
Excerpts:
A sharp, high-speed, low-altitude turn caused a Navy Blue Angels pilot to almost black out, lose control and crash his F/A-18 Hornet last April at a South Carolina air show, according to a Navy investigation.
The report, obtained Monday by The Virginian-Pilot, faulted Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis for pulling into a high-force turn too close to the ground near Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station on April 21. He died in the crash.
Investigators also found the Blue Angels failed to receive the appropriate waiver from the top Navy brass to fly without G-suits for training and performances. "This lack of careful attention to operating requirements is unacceptable," wrote Vice Adm. John C. Harvey Jr. in a response to the investigation.
However, the report concluded that a G-suit - used to counteract intense gravitational forces in a fighter jet - would not have prevented Davis' crash.
Capt. Jack Hanzlik, public affairs officer for the chief of naval personnel, said conflicting rules led Blue Angels leadership to believe they had complied with safety precautions. Navy Hornet pilots typically do not wear G-suits because they could interfere with operating the aircraft's control stick between their legs, he said.
The performances will remain unchanged for the upcoming season, which beings in March, Hanzlik said. Pilots will not be required to wear G-suits. But the squadron will incorporate several new training rules.
Pilots will undergo annual testing in a centrifuge that mimics the forces exerted on a Blue Angels pilot during a performance. They will also be required to exercise a full range of muscle groups at least three times per week.
Better physical conditioning helps pilots sustain higher forces during difficult maneuvers, Hanzlik said. "We're going to focus on great physical fitness," he said.
-snip-
Investigators believe Davis fell behind the five fighter jets during a final formation in the April 21 performance. He accelerated to catch up, pulling into a low turn that brought a force of nearly seven times Earth's gravity into the cockpit.
The force caused Davis' vision to narrow and brought him near unconsciousness. Once Davis saw the ground fast approaching, he tried to level his wings and pull up, the report stated, "but he was too low to recover the aircraft."
His parents attended the show, which was the only time they saw their son fly in a Blue Angels performance. Hanzlik said the family told the Navy they did not wish to comment on the crash and investigation.
The investigation was conducted by Marine Corps Lt. Col. Javier J. Ball and took eight months to complete.
The Blue Angels have lost three aviators since they began flying Hornets in 1987. The aviators have major accidents at twice the rate of F/A-18 pilots flying in the fleet, according to Navy safety statistics.
The Blue Angels briefly stopped flying after the crash, then resumed their performance schedule, including an appearance at the Oceana Air Show in September.
I found out he was in the number 7 aircraft one year ago and I got him taking someone up at Airventure. By the way thanks for the info, I just needed to find out because I have a photo of him last July.
Number 7 takes off at Airventure 2006. Sadly, the pilot of this flighter jet Lt. Col. Kevin J Davis was killed in a airshow performance in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was flying number 6 that day, but here he is taking up a reporter at Airventure one year ago. Our thoughts are with your family and the fighter jet team.. 161943. McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet. JetPhotos.com is the biggest database of aviation photographs with over 5 million screened photos online!
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