Mistaken Identity

PFFF · 28 February 2005, 05:50 AM

IN Franks JASTA PIlots there is al least one casuality menioned because he was shot down in a case of mistaken Identity. ARe there any known statics of airmen on both sides were shot down by planes of there own side because of
mistaken I.D?

Taz · 1 March 2005, 07:32 PM

Numerous incidences of fratricide. Nungesser shot down an allied aircraft which would not stop attacking him. Richthofen went to bat for a pilot who shot down one of the first Dr.Is because their existence had not been well publicized. C&C and OTF have other examples, but it was all too common. In recent years, some of the biggest losses have come from misidentification and resultant fratricide. An A-10A pilot who killing numerous British personnel in Desert Storm because he was unfamiliar with their armored (armoured) vehicles is a recent example. The Patriot kill of an F/A-18C in Iraqi Freedom is another even more recent unfortunate example. Sometimes difficult to maintain situational awareness when the bullets are flying and you are scared witless. The Patriot example was even scarier because the crew left the system on automatic while they hid in a bunker because of an "imminent" attack. Patriot is a system where you get points for going fast, going low, and having electronic countermeasures. After so many points, you win a 6000 feet per second Patriot, not a good deal.

Taz