Distraction, pilot error blamed in fatal CF-18 crash near Cold Lake, Alta. | CBC News

You mean Canadian Pilots. Politics keeps them from getting new planes. Your error was actually correct because maybe this man would have lived had he had a plane that wasn't so worn out.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/fighter-jet-competition-australian-announcement-1.4444466

Great advice, CW5 John M. That you take the time to impart this knowledge to future pilots like me speaks so highly of your character.

You obviously speak from experience CW5 Maki, although I might substitute "susceptible" for "prone" in your comment. I remember an adage from my flying days that a pilot with 8-12 years of experience was the pilot most likely to get themselves in unrecoverable situations since they had the confidence gained from experience and often tended to push the envelope or overlook circumstances that a younger pilot avoided due to fear and a more seasoned pilot recognized as a no go zone. Although older airframes obviously require more attention to their physical and performance limitations that often do not apply to newer designs, it is an aviators responsibility to include those limits in their mind while in flight. The loss of a pilot is always a tragedy, but the inherent danger in flight; the aircrafts limitations; and their personal limitations which vary from day to day, are all facts that aviators must recognize and consider. From the accident report, the Captain screwed up, which all of us have experienced. Fortunately, most of the time mistakes are not catastrophic.

A1C Ian Williams - Aside from “distraction”, There is another “killer” in aviation that happens to some degree- at some point, to every pilot: Complacency - it can be very difficult for a pilot to see that in themselves without some “outside” help....... Complacency is usually the “root” cause of overconfidence, unnecessary risk-taking, and the “bullet-proof” (“it only happens to the other guy”) syndrome. It usually takes a “close call” or a fatality to “shock” a pilot out of complacency, but good leadership, a good Safety Program, and/or a good Instructor Pilot can also get it corrected.

LtCol Robert Quinter - That’s even better. Thanks!