Posted for Wesley Hunt <wshunt@cox.net>:

 Mark,
 
 I'm a retired Navy  Flight Surgeon with 23 years of active duty, and  have
some experience in aircraft accident investigation. I'm well  aware of the
wall between the mishap investigation on the safety side  and the JAG
investigation. The issue here is whether the pilot  knowingly operated the
aircraft in a reckless manner that resulted in  a bad outcome, or whether his
experience and skill on a particular  occasion were not sufficient despite his
best efforts. Example: an  experienced F-14 pilot on a night carrier landing,
correcting right  to left and landing long, hits an A6 resulting in the loss
of 2  multimillion dollar national assets and several injuries. Bad  outcome.
His skill, on that particular occasion was not sufficient to  prevent a
mishap, but it was surely not "rogue" behavior. The primary  question for the
Court was whether there was reckless behavior on the  part of the pilot that
resulted in this tragedy. My sense at the  time, having followed it closely,
was that there was a strong desire  on the part of the chain of command,
starting in the Oval Office and  DOD, to scape goat the aircrew to fend of the
ire of the Italians.  The US government actually looks better with a
conviction. If the  primary cause of the mishap was a defective DOD chart,
then DOD is  the culprit. If the pilot's reckless flying was the cause, then
DOD  can blame the "rogue"  pilot and punish him. The prosecution  certainly
went all out for a conviction. The members of the Court,  all Marine Corps
officers, considered all the evidence and concluded  that he was innocent. You
seem to suggest that the members of the  Court would knowingly acquit the
defendants when they actually  believed them to be guilty. Perhaps I have
greater faith in the honor  of Marine Corps officers than you, but then I
spent a tour as a  Flight Surgeon with a Marine Aircraft Wing and know them
well. You  weren't in the cockpit that day (nor was I) so you can't know
whether  the pilot was knowingly reckless or having a bad day despite his best
 efforts. Only the pilot knows the truth.
 
 Semper Fi!