CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2 JAMES B. HILLIARD
C Company, 3rd Battalion,
159th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion,
12th Combat Aviation Brigade
Illesheim, Germany

The mission was a standard ferry flight that the unit had done many times to a training area in Germany. For training purposes, the company standardization pilot wanted the younger pilots in the company to build a new route using the Aviation Mission Planning System computer. The pilots were to then brief the company on the new route. Due to system limitations, the pilots split the route into two segments. Upon reaching waypoint six, the flight would switch to the second route and continue to the destination.

I was in the front seat of the lead Apache in a flight of six departing for the training location. Everything from communications check to takeoff went as planned. I noticed the route shown on the tactical situation display took the flight past waypoint six and into the route structure of the training area.

I was on the controls and the aircraft hold modes were activated. Upon reaching waypoint six, the pilot in command in the backseat switched the route as briefed. To our surprise, the route disappeared from the TSD. The PC and I started discussing what happened. During the discussion, the PC wanted to take the flight controls. We did the three-way positive transfer of control and I released the controls. I then changed back to the original route.

A few moments later, the PC said we were left of course. I concurred. Moments later, the PC said we were going farther left of course. Once again, I concurred. A few moments later, the PC said we needed to come right and get back on course. I hesitated for a second and asked if he had the controls. “Oops, I forgot,” was his response. Sometime during the confusion with the route, the PC forgot we’d transferred controls. For about five minutes, no one was flying the aircraft. It was the hold modes that kept us straight and level.

There is a standard word association used in the aviation community. We hear a command and, without hesitation, almost subconsciously give the response — sometimes without taking action. Because it is hard for the pilots in the Apache to see each other, it can be difficult to know if the action was completed without verbal confirmation. This has led to accidents where no one was flying the aircraft.

Continue to practice proper crew coordination. Don’t take it lightly. The smallest distractions can lead to a fatal mistake.