Hey Keefe, MUEng, love to have your perspectives on this story:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/20/politics/air-force-gunship-lost/index.html
First question: Does this kill that pilot's career?
Second question: Is the fact that he saved it more impressive than getting into the inversion in the first place?
Bottom line is the guy overstressed the airframe meaning he applied far too much torque and literally bent the hull into a configuration that is suboptimal for controlled flight.
While executing a fairly routine high angle side slip maneuver he used too much rudder then overcompensated and used way too little. What will get this guy in trouble is that he didn't know his Emergency Procedures cold - In each of the 6" thick flight manuals are bolded statements that one must memorize and apply in an instant.
In effect, once he realized he was headed for either an inverted flight profile or a stall he needed to immediately apply the EPs he was expected to know by heart. Instead, he panicked and overcompensated which resulted in an inverted flight profile.
It is safe to say this guy will never again fly for Uncle Sugar. But for the taxpayers the aircraft isn't a complete write-off - the avionics, power plants, and weapons systems are all recoverable. The hull will need to be scrapped, however.
