When I first heard the news my automatic assumption was that it was a mossad hit. However, I am a helicopter pilot with training specifically in high altitude and mountain operations, and I can say that even in VMC mountain flying can be very dangerous if you don’t have a very good training and experience.

I don’t believe we will ever know the truth of what happened here because it would expose the deficiencies in not only Iran’s aviation training but potentially the holes in their security as well if it was indeed a foreign hit.

The Bryant accident, on the other hand…I never took the time to read the final NTSB report on that, but it was obvious to me from the start that there were a combination of factors. Undue pressure to execute from a rich and well known athlete, overestimation of ability and ego on the part of the pilot, and all around tossing to the wind of basic airmanship. And while the charter service being used wasn’t certified to operate IFR, it’s clear they were deficient in communicating and training inadvertent IMC procedures.

All that aside, I think it’s interesting that the Iranians haven’t taken the opportunity to point a finger at Israel, the US, or any other foreign entity.