. . .
The CASA 212 twin-engine turboprop was owned by Presidential Airways, a Florida company doing business as Blackwater Aviation, and was flying under a contract with the U.S. Air Force when it crashed on Nov. 27, 2004. The aircraft carried three crew members, three Army passengers and military freight when it took off from Bagram, headed for Farah. Its wreckage was located a day later, 25 miles north of the expected route, but bad weather prevented rescuers from reaching the site for two more days.
The report blamed Presidential for "failure to require its flight crews to file and fly a defined route," and for not providing oversight to make sure its crews followed company policies and Pentagon and FAA safety regulations.
. . .
The aircraft's flight recorder showed that pilot Noel English guessed when deciding which route to take over the mountainous terrain, unwittingly turning into a box canyon that was closed at one end by tall ridges. "I hope I'm goin' in the right valley," English said after takeoff. "I'm just gonna go up this one."
By the time English realized the danger, he was unable to fully turn the aircraft and it slammed into a mountain wall at more than 14,000 feet.
"This was squarely the pilot's fault, and he's the responsibility of Presidential. They hired and trained him," said Bob Spohrer, a Jacksonville, Fla., attorney for passengers' families. "There's a saying in the military: You plan your flight and you fly your plan. They didn't do either."
http://www.heraldsun.com/state/6-796572.cfm
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