40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS - THE ANATOMY OF A MISHAP INVESTIGATION

  • Published
  • By Col. JOHN W. BLUMENTRITT
  • HQ AETC Safety Directorate
Hurlburt Field, Fla. --  I got the call on a Sunday afternoon while working the chains at my 9-year-old son's football game. An SA-342 Gazelle gunship helicopter had crashed into a river in a remote jungle in northeastern Ecuador with two American special ops servicemembers aboard. The Ecuadorian pilot was killed. One of the Americans, a Navy SEAL, escaped without injury, but the other, a Navy lieutenant, lost his lower left leg in the mishap.

Since the lieutenant was assigned to a unit at Hurlburt Field, Fla., I had been selected to serve on the mishap investigation board.

"Why me?" I thought.

Being tasked to serve on one of these boards is almost never convenient. The calls come in the middle of family vacations, on wedding anniversaries, during children's birthday parties ... and football games. At the drop of a hat, safety investigators are taken away from family and normal duties at home units for nearly 40 days and 40 nights.

It's not easy suddenly changing roles. In my case, which took place in 1996, I went from piloting MH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters to investigating a major mishap in a foreign country.

And I won't lie; it's overwhelming when you walk up to the wreckage of a mishap and realize you have to sift through thousands of pieces of evidence. You're thinking, "How am I going to figure this out?"

Where's Matlock, Magnum P.I. or Sherlock Holmes when you need them?

But when I got there, I realized I simply had to put trust in my training.

To serve on a mishap board, investigators will have completed intense safety courses at the Air Force Safety Center. With its insightful instruction, which includes a crash lab, they become well-prepared for the daunting task they face.

As investigators go through the process taught, the "Ah, ha!" moment will come.

However, as the 16-hour days pile up, most will have some "Why me?" moments as well. Nevertheless, the importance of what they're doing won't be lost.

These professionals will determine what happened and why. They will find existing deficiencies, and then come up with recommendations that will save lives in the future.

In the case of the downed helicopter in Ecuador, we identified some problems and made recommendations that helped change special ops training programs for the better. These recommendations are still helping protect our aircrew members to this day. Moreover, we ensured that the lieutenant didn't lose his leg in vain.

Why me? ... Why such a system?

Because you are our greatest natural resource. And if saving you by preventing another mishap costs me another 40 days and 40 nights, sign me up!