Report: Pilots in Deadly Black Hawk Crash Disobeyed Orders
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW ORLEANS — The pilots of a Black Hawk military helicopter that crashed last March, killing all 11 service members aboard, had disobeyed direct orders by flying into worsening weather, according to an investigation report.

The military said in June the crash was caused when the pilots became disoriented at night off the Florida coast. The training took place as dense fog rolled in from the Gulf of Mexico.

The full report, obtained by The Associated Press late Thursday through a public records request, said the pilots were not authorized to fly in such bad weather and others failed to challenge the overconfidence of the lead pilot.

The report was a joint investigation by the Louisiana National Guard and U.S. Special Operations Command. Details of the report were previously reported by the Irish Times in June.

The training involved two Black Hawk helicopters from the Louisiana National Guard taking teams of Marine special operations servicemen over water so they could rappel into the sea.

Both crews "disobeyed a direct order ... by choosing to fly in lower then (sic) briefed weather minimums."

The report went on to fault the lead pilot, Chief Warrant Officer George Wayne Griffin Jr., 37, of Hammond, Louisiana, for pushing ahead with the mission even though weather was worsening March 10.

According to the report, the training was supposed to take place only if cloud cover was no lower than 1,000 feet and visibility was 3 miles. Conditions were worse, with cloud cover as low at 200 feet.

Fog began to set in about 40 minutes before the helicopters took off at 8:16 p.m., according to testimony. The same service member told investigators that Griffin dismissed concerns from members on boats where the training was to take place.

Records show that the National Guard felt that Griffin was a top-notch veteran pilot fully capable of doing the training.

"No one spoke up and questioned the wisdom to conduct the mission," the report said.

Griffin Jr. and Chief Warrant Officer George David Strother both were decorated veteran pilots. Griffin had twice served in Iraq; Strother had served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo.

The Louisiana National Guard did not return messages seeking comment. The U.S. Special Operations Command declined to comment.

美軍「黑鷹」墜毀11死 調查：駕駛違令硬飛

軍方23日公布調查報告指出，今年3月路易斯安納州國民兵發生兩架黑鷹直升機墜毀，導致11人罹難的墜機事件，主因是駕駛員違背軍令，不顧氣候惡劣而執意飛行造成的。

軍方今年6月曾表示，這架在佛羅里達州沿海進行飛行訓練的黑鷹直升機，是因為墨西哥灣出現濃霧，導致駕駛員迷失方向而墜機。

路易斯安納州國民兵和美軍特種部隊司令部的聯合調查報告指出，直升機駕駛員當時沒有接到命令，要在惡劣的氣候中飛行，而直升機機長的過分自信行為，也沒有受到機上其他人員的糾正。

路州國民兵的兩架黑鷹直升機當時是參加海上軍事訓練，兩架飛機都違反軍令，在飛行條件最低的氣候環境中低空飛行。

報告認為，墜機責任要由37歲的直升機機長葛里芬承擔，他不顧天氣惡劣，仍執意起飛訓練。但訓練計畫規定，只有在雲層不低於1000呎和能見度超過三哩時，才能進行飛行訓練。而當時的天氣惡劣，雲層低到了200呎。

黑鷹直升機是晚8時16分從軍艦起飛的，但起飛前40分鐘空中開始凝聚起濃霧，部分軍人向調查人員作證，指駕駛員葛里芬根本不聽艦上人員的勸阻。

路州國民兵的紀錄表明，葛里芬是頂尖的資深飛行員，曾兩次在伊拉克服役，他完全有能力執行這樣氣候的晚間飛行訓練。但調查報告指出﹕「沒有一個人站出來表示質疑。」

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/23/us/ap-us-military-helicopter-crash.html

2015-10-25 世界日報 編譯孫梁