Military pilots’ memories led to improper decisions during Aurora mishap:report
HALIFAX — Memories of past flights led military pilots astray as they tried to avoid an accident during an aborted takeoff two years ago that badly damaged an Aurora aircraft, says a safety report released Wednesday.
The military’s Directorate of Flight Safety says the captain spotted birds ahead as the reconnaissance plane roared down the tarmac at the Greenwood, N.S., air base on Aug. 27, 2015, destined for a patrol over northern Canada.
However, the report says the captain took too long to decide whether the flock warranted an aborted takeoff.
The document says the captain’s mind was considering a bird strike during a prior flight of the patrol aircraft, rather than reacting to the situation at the time.