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The one that always gets me is McCudden. How could a pilot with so much experience try a downwind turn to make the runway with a dead engine, no speed, and no altitude to speak of. He specifically taught his students to land the plane straight ahead in the event of an engine failure at low altitude on takeoff.
I suspect Shooter may be right, combat fatigue could have played a major part in their deaths. If that is the case though, what about the Luftwaffe's highest scoring aces? Many of them saw action for years with nothing more than a short leave here and there, or a little downtime to heal wounds.
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