We are back into the flow but everything feels different. The guys don’t talk about what happened much except in reference to how this is going to change the way we do things. It’s not that people are afraid to talk it’s just that we all know the risks and in order to continue on you have to assume that what happened to others will not happen to you. That is why it is so important to figure out what happened. Our biggest fear as type A personalities is that there is something outside of our control. As pilots and crew-members we have confidence ( as misplaced as it may be) that we can handle any situation with the basic assumption that our aircraft will stay together. During my years as a maintenance test pilot I have encountered a lot of unusual problems but at the same time developed a strong trust in the Chinook’s ability to get me safely back on the ground. A known threat is always better than one unknown and right now what happened to 171 is a big unknown. The safety team from Ft. Rucker showed up yesterday and I went back out to the crash site with them. They are bringing it back today to start the analysis. I was finally able to talk to Wendi the morning of the 17th. She had a pretty rough time. The earliest report to come out in the news was that it was one of our aircraft on a test flight which narrows it down to three of us. She knew I was working in the evenings and based on the time (early evening) she was afraid it was me. Unfortunately this information got to her through a series of contacts long before the official channels were able to react. It wasn’t for another 10 hours that she was able to confirm it wasn’t me and a full 36 hours after the crash before all the next of kin were notified and the names could be officially released. It’s a painful system but necessary. With 24 hour news there is no way the command can keep up and the last thing you want to happen is for bad information to be put out. For Wendi the relief of knowing it wasn’t me was followed by the sorrow of knowing other families were experiencing the reality of her fears. I have always said it is much easier for us over here because at least we know what is going on. I am so thankful for everyone’s prayers and support.
Clear H 127 L 88
3 comments:
Dave,
Your frank commentary brings to the forefront the sober reality you face on a daily basis. While we are glad for your sake and ours that you were unharmed, we can only imagine what the families and friends of those lost are experiencing. Please know that you are continually in our thoughts and prayers as we eagerly await your safe return.
DAVE
Dave,
Thanks for you comments, prayers and support. Sorry I haven't responded to your comments earlier. I keep getting side-tracked and forget. Pretty normal for me :) Thanks for helping Wendi out - you don't know how much that helps ease my concerns over here. Take care and I will see you soon.
Dave,
I know you're not on a camping trip. I really appreciate the time you take to maintain this blog. There's lots of things you could choose to do with your down time. I appreciate you spending your time staying connected with your friends and consider myself privadeged to be counted among them.
DAVE
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