The loss of crew situational awareness ultimately caused a Royal Air Force Puma Mk2 to crash in Kabul in October 2015, killing five on board, including two USAF airmen. The transport helicopter was landing at the headquarters of NATO’s training and support mission at the time of the crash. The UK Military Aviation Authority found that the pilots and rear crew fixated on ground features, and did not see an aerostat, according to a report in IHS Jane’s.The Puma hit the aerostat’s tether, causing the crash. The crash killed Maj. Phyllis J. Pelky, of Rio Rancho, N.M., and MSgt. Gregory T. Kuhse, of Kalamazoo, Mich., along with two Royal Air Force officers and a French contractor.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
