What is YOUR most common cause of aircraft loss?

[=IRFC=kotori87]

Hey, folks. Over the past few months I have been shot down a lot. Well into the hundreds. I've noticed, as I gain experience, that not only am I getting shot down less often, my cause of death has changed a lot as well. I absolutely love  flying the SE5a and Camel, and when I first started playing I lost my wings a lot, with control loss as my second-most-common cause of death. As I get better at handling those planes, it seems like I'm dying more often to pilot kills instead. My chances of surviving a fight are still suicidally low, but now I seem to be surviving long enough to take at least one of my opponents down with me. Maybe I'm better at not getting shot, or maybe I'm better at limiting my G-forces. Whatever the reason, I find this change in cause-of-loss to be very interesting.

 

Now I present the same question to all of you: What are YOUR top three most common causes of aircraft loss? What makes you hit the dirt? (or hit the silk, for you Central types) Has this changed over time, and if so, why?

[US103_Baer]

Think you're missing one.

 

1. EA wings breaking off and smashing into mine

 

[ST_Catchov]

Camel fixation ....

[Trooper117]

Falling asleep at the controls ...

[Russkly]

Depends.

 

Only been flying Camels in a PWCG campaign in late 1917 so far.

• If I'm engaging Halbertossers, their gunners take out my engine before I've even considered opening fire. I avoid these like the plague (and they rip through the rest of my flight too)
• if I'm engaging scouts, they never shoot me down - my demise is usually my own fault for frying the engine in a dive (see separate thread on the topic), spinning in, or losing wings or other parts of the airframe.
• Never get bounced by the AI in Il2 (any iteration thereof, whether WW2 or WW1), which a is a shame.

[BOO]

one important category missing - "Me"

[Talisman]

How might this poll compare to real life data is what I am thinking.

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

[Diggun]

Would be interesting to see some data on number of aircraft lost (by a particular squadron etc) v. number of pilots lost...

 

Obviously you're never going to lose more pilots than aircraft, but would be interesting to get a feel for the average number of prangs one could expect before one got the chop...

[=IRFC=Gardimus]

6 hours ago, US28_Baer said:

Think you're missing one.

 

1. EA wings breaking off and smashing into mine

 

Out of all my aerial victories, I'm most proud of that one.  

[76SQN-FatherTed]

What would be interesting would be to compare what we think happens most to us to what actually happens most often.  For me, I would like to think I usually crash as a result of a combination of wounds and controls shot away, but unforced bodged landings probably account for a high percentage.  In fact I probably concentrate harder on landings where I've been shot up so I don't give the other guy a kill.

 

Also, you left one out kotori - getting bombed/strafed on the ground

[HagarTheHorrible]

Camouflage, that usually works for me (Oh, and the odd “senior” moment),but I see it’s not an option.

[=IRFC=Gascan]

10 hours ago, US28_Baer said:

Think you're missing one.

 

1. EA wings breaking off and smashing into mine

 

From hell's heart I stab at thee!

Back in the days when we could gather in groups of people, I used to fight model battleships with bb cannons. Twice in two decades of combat I have seen a ship get tangled up in a sinking wreck and get dragged down with it...

 

3 hours ago, =CfC=FatherTed said:

What would be interesting would be to compare what we think happens most to us to what actually happens most often.  For me, I would like to think I usually crash as a result of a combination of wounds and controls shot away, but unforced bodged landings probably account for a high percentage.  In fact I probably concentrate harder on landings where I've been shot up so I don't give the other guy a kill.

 

Also, you left one out kotori - getting bombed/strafed on the ground

 

I guess that might be "collision with ground/tree," but it might be better to put "landing accident" as a separate category.

[NO.20_W_M_Thomson]

4 hours ago, Gardimus said:

 

Out of all my aerial victories, I'm most proud of that one.  

Thought it was shooting me down?

[76SQN-FatherTed]

14 minutes ago, gascan said:

 

No, but  seriously, I mean some fokker (or, more politely, Halberstadt) dropped a bomb on me as I spawned in.

[J2_Trupobaw]

1. Bad judgement on my part.*


*Usually caused by not quitting while I'm ahead and flying so long/so late that my judgement is compromised - but the decision to make that last sortie anyway is bad judgement, too.

Edited January 11, 2021 by J2_Trupobaw

[RNAS10_Oliver]

Was not sure on what I should answer. Though I went for damage to controls in the end. Because the chance that this form of damage occurs to me seems to be quite high. And though the damage is often not the direct method of loss would estimate that for a fair number of other times the secondary cause was this control damage. So you know control damage making landings more problematic, or unable to manoeuvre and become flamed or shot in the head as you attempt to sideslip or circle back to Entente lines.

 

Control damage tends to be an "alright returning as am combat ineffective" moment. Damage to engine, airframe or wounded tend to be lesser concerns.

Edited January 15, 2021 by Oliver88

[=IRFC=kotori87]

I find it highly amusing that four days after I boldly proclaimed that I don't shed my wings any more, I lose my best virtual life yet to.... (drum roll please....) shed wings! Its OK though, I earned it.

Edited January 16, 2021 by kotori87

[Todt_Von_Oben]

They wait until I'm dogfighting a worthy pilot; then run past and slap me with their purse.  Or they fly a Brisfit.  

 

Other than that, I usually kill the pilot, flame the fuel tank, or defeat the airframe with gunfire. 

 

Been that way since WOFF and ROF; and they know it.  Thus, the purse.   

 

That's what happens when you excel; the mediocre conspire against you.  My whole life has been like that and I've realized it's actually an unintended compliment.  

 

I try to not let it go to my head but it's difficult to keep your feet on the ground when you're this good.   

[Beazil]

I ram a fair bit by mistake and I have an affinity for trees.

And die by fire a fair bit as well...

Edited January 18, 2021 by JG51_Beazil

[Avimimus]

So you guys aren't constantly shedding your wings in dives or spinning the Sopwith Dolphin? Are you y'all good pilots and I'm not?

[J2_Trupobaw]

Once D.XII pilot, always D.XII pilot :). Flying in Pfalz D.XII mode usually saves me from shedding wings.

(Unless I fly a Camel. Because she flies nowhere like D.XII, and because she encourages me to fly stupid.)

(If my Camel sheds the wings,  the cause of aircraft loss is "Pilot Error (took a Camel instead of an SE)").
 

Edited January 22, 2021 by J2_Trupobaw

[ST_Catchov]

I'd say not seeing the bastard until tracers thud into you and, when turning to engage or flee,  the Camel's wings disengage. Is that a category or just bad SA?

[J5_Adam]

I was going to say, poor memory.

[Rail]

The nut that's holding the joystick.

[unreasonable]

I agree with @Rail here - whatever the mechanics of the crash, the root cause of a crash is usually that I have got too greedy, which leads to poor SA, collisions, unnecessary attacks from poor positions on 2-seaters, going too low while over the lines...just one more victory... or just one... 

 

Of course dumb luck can get you with a fluke archie burst, or you just did not see the Hun in the sun despite looking. But nine times out of ten I could have avoided my demise.

Edited January 25, 2021 by unreasonable

[Todt_Von_Oben]

Lately?  Two things: 

 

VISION: Early Rift with corrective lenses.  Planes begin to show up as tiny flickering dots at maybe four clicks.  Gotta get close to identify and it's not hard to lose visual contact while turning.  

 

PROFICIENCY: I love the Dr.1 but I've been flying the D7F; so that's what i showed up with at Flugpark lately.  But I noticed people were down low in Camels, Dolphins, and Scouts; so I got back into a triplane.  Wow!  Lost my touch!  I haven't had a problem getting that plane to turn left since my early days with it; but it balked out on me thrice in a dogfight and that was pretty frustrating.  

 

No problemo.  GASCAN showed me where the ZOOM settings are and a few SP Duels in the Dr.1 fixed me right up.  

 

After that, there's FLAK.  

 

I was stunting one click above the enemy airport.  It was a direct hit and must have killed me instantaneously because my ButtKicker haptic device was working and yet I didn't feel the explosion at all.  

 

Kind of disappointing, really.  I'm new to Haptic and had been waiting for the sim to do that.  When it finally did, it was a dud.

 

Oh, well.  Onward, nevertheless...   

 

 

 

[Talisman]

Can't seem to change my vote, but to update things, for me I no longer have the wings loss much (that I voted for), but much more losses now due to controls damaged and/or jammed (which would be my vote now if I could change it).

 

Happy landings,

 

Talisman

[J37_Spyboy]

Typing

 

[J2_Trupobaw]

For me, currently most common cause of death it's going into AI-infested dogfight area - they fly stupid and suicidal, and to stay with them I fly stupid and suicidal, too. 

[JGr2/J5_Klugermann]

 Non novel 1PL virus.  Hopefully there will be a vaccine in the future.

[J2_Bidu]

Interesting topic. I find it hard to find a pattern: I fly a lot of different planes, and die in different ways accordingly. Also, things changed substantially since the lack of Entente players led Jasta 2 to fly on the 'wrong' side.

 

I'll have to go with Trupo and say it's poor judgment.

[Ghost666]

It's the other guy, It's the AI, It's the bad FM, It's the bad DM, Friendly fire ya that's it. Stupid AA, why should I have to evade. I could go on and on and on, but the point is it's all way someone fault but mine.   

[J2_Trupobaw]

Two months later, few V-lives I actully tried to keep were lost by:
- Invisible objects on the deck - 2x
- Doing aerobatics on the deck - 2x
- Flak in the face - 1x
- One pass kill by underestimated AI - 2x
- Following friends into not-survivable situations - 2x (one wing loss, one ram)
- One bullet from upgraded ground fire setting me aflame (damn you @J99_Sizzlorr!)

Edited May 13, 2021 by J2_Trupobaw

[jollyjack]

1) distracted by the phone

2) distracted by the wife, or dog

4) desperate need to pee

5) being drunk

[Yours_truly_Ace]

I was looking for "not checking my six often enough" ?

[VilsonFarias]

Number one in my case: lack of skills ?

[J5_Adam]

Like I already mentioned, memory loss. Can't remember where I parked it.

[jollyjack]

18 hours ago, J5_Adam said:

Like I already mentioned, memory loss. Can't remember where I parked it.

 

So we need an Il2 Android parking App ?

[J5_Adam]

1 hour ago, jollyjack said:

 

So we need an Il2 Android parking App ?

That'd be handy I'd say. I stopped to have a drink a Reims and I swear I parked my aircraft at Courcy.

[jollyjack]

Two years ago i had a drink and a meal in Reims at a main square terras near the Cathedral. I did not see you at all!  ... you must already have lost your way.