Original subtitles

Target's in sight. Here we go.

[indistinct radio transmission]

[beeping]

Good shooting, Deadeye.

Let's get a cold one.

Roger that.

Whoo! 100% fun, Gerter!

[over radio] Stick to my six.

[alarms beeping]

Damn it to hell!

Eject! Eject! Eject!

[narrator] Following in his father's footsteps as a Naval aviator,

Lieutenant Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr.

Suffered a crash while landing his Tomcat

on a storm-tossed carrier at sea.

Diagnosed with night blindness

Harm transferred to the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps

which investigates, defends and prosecutes the law of the sea.

There, with fellow JAG lawyer, Major Sarah MacKenzie,

he now fights in and out of the courtroom

with the same daring and tenacity

that made him a top gun in the air.

The Captain's pretty depressed

about the accident, sir.

It's the first time one of his men

has been called on the carpet.

He was happy to here you were investigating, though.

You trained with him, right, sir?

-I did. -Then you know how much

the Captain loves his flyboys, sir.

Flyboys?

Oh, excuse the inappropriate terminology, sir.

I got to work on that.

[ tires squealing]

-Question, Lieutenant. -Shoot, sir.

What did you do in civilian life, anyway?

Drove a cab, sir.

Right.

-How were you...? -Commissioned?

Captain Hochausen pulled me out of the administration office,

recommended me for Officer Candidate School.

Said I had the mettle to settle.

I think that's how he put it.

Anyway, I help him out when he needs me...

Drive him around, run errands for him, stuff like that.

You all right back there, Lieutenant?

Actually, you know, if you could you slow down...?

Who is it you look like, sir?

You like Thai food, sir?

Me, too. Boy, I wish they had a place

around here.

They chicken-fry everything here, sir,

even the salad.

We'll be switching

to the Captain's car now, sir.

He's not here?

We're going to his house.

Uh, how far is that?

About 30 minutes.

I can do it in 20.

[Hochausen] Harm!

[Rabb] Captain.

Looking crisp, Commander.

-Starch in the boxers, sir. -[laughing]

-Lieutenant, is my car in one piece? -Yes, so far, sir.

Then you are joining us for dinner... no arguments.

You won't get one.

Welcome back, Harm. Hi, Gail.

Even under the circumstances.

Roger, that. Gail...

This is Lieutenant J.G. Bud Roberts.

Hello, Bud.

It's a pleasure, ma'am.

And this is The Hawk.

I've heard a lot about you, sir.

And you came anyway.

Commander Rabb says you're the best

flight instructor in the Navy.

I hope he's not claiming he was my best student.

-He really didn't specify, sir. -Smart answer, Lieutenant.

Hey, Cap, remember the time you came up my back seat?

Told me you wouldn't say anything

unless I was screwing up, right?

Ten minutes into the flight, I haven't heard anything.

I figure I'm acing it, right? Suddenly he clobbers me in the back of the helmet

with his flight stick. He'd unscrewed it, put a note through it

-said, "Plug in your headset." -[all laughing]

I'd wager there was another word between

"your" and "headset."

[Captain laughing]

You remember the drill.

Every six months I take my junior instructors

out on a tune-up ride to blow the dust off 'em.

Lieutenant Judd was your wingman.

-Correct. -Can you take me

to the point of the accident, Captain?

Where were you when he clipped the telephone pole?

Leading.

He didn't see it?

Couldn't avoid it.

A severe downdraft sucked it into his path.

Now, if he was below your wing

how did you avoid the same fate?

A few meters made the difference.

So you were ascending in formation

you're approaching the ridge

the turbulence swept under you and caught him.

That's actually better than the way I put it.

Think you could get that

put in writing for me, Captain?

It's always better when I see things on paper.

Sure. I'll have Lieutenant Schiparelli drop it by.

You know, we told Admiral Locksley

it was an act of God. Next thing I know

you show up to investigate Peter Judd on an Article 32.

The F.A.A. is breathing down our necks, sir,

because of the civilian casualties.

The Lieutenant's wife is pregnant.

He doesn't need the F.A.A. to remind him

that this is a tragedy.

I stand by him, Harm.

He's my best junior instructor.

If anybody could have avoided that pole, it was him.

I take it back. You'd have missed it and made an overseas call

at the same time.

[ both chuckle]

I'll see you later.

[Rabb] What exactly happened up there, Lieutenant?

You should ask Lieutenant Judd, sir.

He was at the wheel.

-You were in the back seat. -I'm asking you.

[ chuckles] He's a cowboy, sir.

Shouldn't be allowed to drive a Buick

let alone an F-14.

You saying he was flat-hatting?

An end zone dance, sir.

He was rocking and whooping.

When did he do that?

After the strike.

Where was Captain Hochausen?

Not sure, sir. I lost him.

So you don't know if the Lieutenant stayed

with the Captain's pull-out?

All I know is the Lieutenant was pulling

a hell of a lot of Gs, sir.

How many?

Enough to almost black out.

That's when we hit the pole.

Next thing I know

I'm here.

That was my first and last punch-out.

The knee's blown, sir.

I'm grounded.

I'm sorry, Lieutenant.

[Schiparelli] Commander!

Affidavits from Captain Hochausen, sir.

-Thank you, Lieutenant. -Captain must like you, sir.

-He usually puts off his paperwork. -Well, I like the Captain.

Oh, I gotta put my hat in the ring with you there, sir, 'cause he's like a father to me.

Has me over to the house for dinner. Last year for my birthday

he had a New York pizza delivered on the mail run just for me.

The pizza here, sir, it's disgusting.

Doughy, gloppy. Should be banned.

And the toppings...

Don't even get me started on the toppings.

If I were president I would seriously consider

some sort of automatic sterilization

for anyone who ordered pineapple and Canadian bacon.

That's a point of view, Lieutenant.

-You from The Big Apple? -The Bronx.

Why do they call it that, sir?

Do you know?

No, I don't know.

When I think of New York

fruit doesn't come to mind.

Like, no fruit.

Nothing even fruity.

The big cheese, maybe.

The big noise. The big hurt.

Lieutenant, are you presently available?

Yes, sir, I am.

Because Lieutenant Roberts could use a lift

over to weather control.

Uh, actually, sir, I was planning on walking over.

I'm sure the Lieutenant would be happy

-to give you a ride, Bud. -Yeah, no problem.

That's okay. I could use the exercise, sir.

Bud, I need that information yesterday.

Yes, sir.

We'll be there before you can blink, sir.

I know a shortcut across the tarmac.

[ sniffles]

Excuse me, sir, this is an investigation site.

I'm going to have to ask you

to refrain from touching or handling anything.

This belonged to my son.

Mr. Lanier, I, uh, I'm deeply sorry

for your loss, sir.

Uh, Lieutenant Commander Rabb... JAG.

Mac...

I thought you were in Pensacola.

I was.

The Admiral called me in.

Lieutenant Judd requested representation.

I wish that this had never happened, Commander.

This is Mr. Lanier

husband and father of the victims.

Were you flying this plane?

Yes.

Why'd it go down?

Don't worry, Mr. Lanier.

Before this is over, sir

I promise you'll have an answer to every single question.

[MacKenzie] I only received the order last night.

[Rabb] You can't pick up the phone?

What would you have said, don't come?

So, how's the Hawk?

He have you over for dinner yet?

Don't bother, Mac.

I know you're

old friends.

-He supports yourboy. -Well, that couldn't be very encouraging for you.

I interviewed Lieutenant Judd and I have reason to believe

that he's not responsible for this accident.

Oh, yeah? What's hisstory?

That a severe downdraft caught him off guard.

That wouldn't happen to be the Captain's version, would it?

Yeah, it would.

His Rio says he was hotdogging.

That doesn't preclude the interference

of a downdraft.

Mac, turbulence is nothing new to pilots.

If he was caught off guard, he wasn't paying attention.

He was following his leader.

[Rabb] He was lagging behind.

Because of a downdraft.

Sir, should I order lunch?

So, you were scoring the exercise

on the day of the accident

correct, Lieutenant? Yes, sir.

From your vantage point in the bunker did it look to you

like Lieutenant Judd was hotdogging?

I don't know I'd call it that,sir.

The Lieutenant has an aggressive style of flying.

I'm not in the mood for semantics, Lieutenant.

May I speak freely, sir?

-Please. -Lieutenant Judd once

accidentally cut a phone line with his tail fin...

Put, uh, half the county out of service.

The Admiral investigated... Eventually dropped it.

See, the thing was, the Lieutenant had left out

an important piece of information.

He was upside down at the time...

Upside down, 30 feet above the deck at 500 knots.

[chuckling]

So, in your opinion

Lieutenant Judd is an irresponsible aviator.

No, he's a good one, sir.

Which is it, Lieutenant?

Sir, I'm a scorekeeper.

I'm qualified to judge whether a shooter hits the target.

Lieutenant Judd usually does.

[Rabb] There's no getting away from it, Captain.

Lieutenant Judd has a major rep as a cowboy.

Are you concerned with his reputation

or the evidence?

Okay, let's talk evidence.

Flight records indicate

he had a takeoff mishap on July 24.

He jettisoned his external fuel tanks onto the runway.

He didn't check his drop tank switches?

He didn't see them. The warning lights were too dim...

Instrument panel was in full morning sun.

Too dim?

You never once considered pilot error?

I can tell the difference between a problem and an excuse.

Come on, one more.

Come on.

Yeah, yeah.

Captain, even if the downdraft can be proven

your ability to clear the ridge before he did

suggests he was late on his pull-up.

He's in trouble for being late?

If he wasn't

pulling Major Gs, why was Gerter blacking out?

I have no idea.

Cap, I'm just trying

to make some sense of this.

You're looking for a bogie that isn't there, Harm.

Now, wait, I'm not trying to be difficult, really.

The problem is I'm talking to you

like we're still flying together.

I forget you gave up your wings.

I keep my hours up.

I can tell.

You still know how

to lock in a target.

Some instincts

you never lose, huh?

[chuckling]

I had a good teacher.

[chuckling]

[country music playing]

Damn.

Corner pocket.

[man] That's game.

That was fast.

Now, if you could play like you look...

Hey, be nice.

Got a need for competition, honey.

A little eight ball, Blevins?

-I know that game. -You're out, Angel.

[Schiparelli] No, you can't do that.

I came here to play pool. I want to play pool.

The sign on the door says, "ladies welcome." That's why I'm here.

It's a unisex game. Hey, do you ever shut up?

You've had your shot.

Now it's Blevins' turn.

Anyway, we play for drinks.

Why don't we play partners, her and I against you two?

If that's all right with you.

Can you play?

I'm all right.

Question is, do you fly?

Sometimes.

What's your ride?

Tomcats.

[yawning]

[Harm chuckling]

Hornet pilots.

But of course.

Well, then we haveto play.

Not for drinks.

Money?

Uh-uh.

Your boots.

My boots against your pants.

Add her bra and we got a deal.

Hey, now.

Break.

You feeling lucky?

Hey, look at that.

[ gasping]

I just figured out who you look like, sir.

He's an actor.

He's in that medical drama.

What was it called?

He did that episode where he had to stick his hand

into the patient's chest cavity and massage his heart.

I can't think of his name.

I had his poster on my wall.

It's the eyes.

What?

Something wrong?

No.

You sure?

'Cause you're not...

Hey, Mac.

Stop by for a drink?

You know better than that.

Now, where's my head?

Uh, this is Lieutenant...

Schiparelli.

Major MacKenzie's defending Peter Judd.

-Good evening, Major. -Good evening. May I ask

what your duties are here, Lieutenant?

Sure, I work in the public affairs office

and I help out the Captain when I can.

I'm sorry, and what would that have to do with the Commander?

He needs help getting around?

Apparently not.

[Schiparelli] May I ask you

what you mean by that, ma'am?

Mac, we played pool tonight...

Beat the pants off a couple of flyers from El Toro.

Is that what you do in your spare time, Schiparelli?

Hustle Marines?

No, ma'am.

I usually prefer a challenge.

Uh, we'll probably need a ride around 9:00

If that's all right with you.

Don't you need me to drive you back, sir?

Uh, no, I'll, uh, catch a ride with the Major.

I'll see you in the morning, huh?

Good night, Lieutenant.

Could have been, sir.

-[grunting] -Gee, I'm sorry, sir.

-I didn't know you'd be here tonight. -That's okay, Bud.

Bumped into Mac, why shouldn't I bump into you tonight?

Well, I don't think your night's over yet, sir.

I think you should take a look

at these wind conditions

from the day of the accident.

Oh. No, wait. I'm sorry.

That's not what I wanted to show you.

Um, wait...

Ah! Here it is.

Um, no. Where did it...?

Bud, I'm losing brain cells every second.

Ah, okay. Here it is, sir.

Now, the updated convective sigmets noted area forecasts

of clear air at the ridge

with wind gusts of up to 30 knots.

Now, since air flow is far worse on the leeward side of a ridge

and the Captain and Lieutenant Judd

were ascending on the windwardside of the ridge,

that meant they were caught in an... Updraft.

Gusts on the windward side tend to force you up and not down.

Apparently Lieutenant Judd and Captain Hochausen

are confused what side of the mountain

they were on, Bud.

Well, how can that be, sir?

How, indeed, Bud?

How, indeed?

Morning, Lieutenant.

Good morning, sir.

You got a minute, Captain?

Yeah. Have a seat.

Can you give me a sense of the power of the downdraft

the day of the accident?

Well, that would be a question for Lieutenant Judd.

You said you felt some turbulence, sir.

I shook a little.

How much is a little?

Where you going with this?

Can you prove Lieutenant Judd was caught in a downdraft, sir?

No more than you could prove

you and I are having this conversation.

We are a witness to each other's story.

Well, I'm having problems

with the story, Captain.

You're having problems believing me

and quite frankly, I'm resenting it.

Captain, I can personally attest to the aid and support

you give your men

but if you are helping Lieutenant Judd

avoid responsibility, sir...

The short version, Commander.

You're protecting him.

From unfounded speculation.

It is my job to investigate, Captain.

[sighs]

I have seen too many good pilots

skewered by rule-book barons and ignorant C.O.s.

If you don't give a man room to make mistakes

you take away his ability to learn from them.

What about consequences?

You don't believe a man

should learn the price of his mistakes?

You remember when you almost lost your flight status

because of the high noon gunnery competition?

Judge declared you were shooting inside the minimum range.

The command was unwilling

to tolerate a major safety violation.

Until it was determined

I waswithin range, Captain.

Until Iconvinced him it didn't matter.

You were the best aviator out there.

You deserved a second chance.

Isaved your windswept butt, Commander.

[tires screech]

Morning, Lieutenant.

Hello, sir.

[Roberts] Thanks a lot!

No problem. Good day, sir.

You surprised me, Bud. I didn't think

you had much faith in the Lieutenant's driving.

Well, the tech pub library is only a mile and a half away, sir

and I took my contacts out before I got in.

What were you doing at the library?

I was reading up on some aircraft maintenance manuals

to see if anything jumped out at me.

Do you know there's such a thing

as a G-measuring device?

Yeah, it's a gauge on the instrument panel.

Yes, sir, but that one can be reset by the pilots.

What I'm talking about is a thing called a, uh...

a statistical accelerometer.

Statistical accelerometer.

Where have I been, Bud?

It's a little device that...

It's the device the maintenance crews put in the wheel well.

It keeps a permanent record of vertical velocity.

This will dispel or substantiate Gerter's claim

that they were pulling Major Gs.

That's what I was thinking, sir.

Good work, Bud.

Greatwork, Bud.

[Rabb] Morning, chief.

How are you doing today?

[man] Oh, I could be richer and younger

but I have a good time.

How's it coming with the postmortem?

Well, sir, I can tell you she crashed and burned.

You didn't happen to find a statistical accelerometer...?

In fact, we did.

You want to take a peek, Commander?

The, uh, crew found her in a scorpion nest

about a quarter mile away.

Hell of a scorpion.

Okay. Final numbers show

at the time she hit the pole

she was pulling, let's see...

seven Gs.

Wow. That'll suck the enamel

right off your teeth.

-Can I see that, chief? -Yes, sir.

That would confirm Lieutenant Gerter's story

wouldn't it, sir?

One for the evidence box, Bud.

Thanks, Chief.

No problem, Commander.

Lieutenant Judd was in a seven-G pullout.

There's no way he was on Captain Hochausen's wing.

It looks to me like your guy was playing catch-up

-grayed out and lost control. -Grayed out?

Heavy Gs narrow the cone of vision, ma'am.

Without peripheral spectrum, you're flying with blinders.

Well, that's speculation, Commander.

His Rio testified that he was hotdogging

and this proves he was pulling major Gs.

Well, what about the Captain?

What about him?

Did his plane have a statistical accelerometer?

Um, sorry,

but the device seems to be missing.

How could that happen?

Don't know, ma'am.

That's an inadequate answer, Petty Officer Rivas.

I'm inclined to agree with you, ma'am.

I wish I could be more helpful.

I'm as confused as you are.

Maintenance personnel are the only ones

with official access to the aircraft.

Incorrect, Mac. You're forgetting the pilots.

-Thanks, Rivas. -You are reaching... There is no way

that Lieutenant Judd could have tampered

with the evidence. Did I say that?

I think the Major's right, sir.

The fact is... I think the Captain...

Lieutenant. Yes, sir?

Do you mind if I talk while you interrupt?

Sorry, sir.

Now, Bud, I think you and I concur.

It is conceivable that the Hawk

knowing he was pulling less Gs

took his own statistical accelerometer

to protect his wingman.

[MacKenzie] But if it's missing

we can't substantiate that.

Yes, we can.

Do you want to bring me up to speed, Commander?

Well, I don't know if you want to go this fast, Mac.

[Hochausen] This is a hell of a way to waste taxpayer dollars.

We want an exact duplicate of the strike exercise on the day of the accident.

Wind conditions won't duplicate.

Let's do it anyway.

Your call, Commander.

You know, Mac, if you're not feeling up to it

it's not too late to have someone

more experienced put in the back seat.

Are you suggesting I can't handle this?

Don't "semper fi" me on this one, Mac.

She's no biplane.

They put me through the drill.

I know what buttons to push.

Okay, so long as they're not mine.

Hey, Mac, how you doing?

Mac?

Yeah.

You all right?

Yeah.

Sure?

Yeah.

[Hochausen] Two, this is the lead.

I'm popping up. Roll in to the left.

Target in sight.

Roger, one.

Scorer noted ten feet at 9:00.

Bull's-eye. I'm done.

[MacKenzie] We're not going to make it!

[Rabb] How was it for you, Mac?

[vomiting]

[Hochausen] Just cleared it, didn't you?

That would be correct.

Yeah. A sudden downdraft

you would have popped that pole.

Looks that way.

Listen, I want to let this go

and put it behind us, okay?

Let's take them in.

Which one of those landings should I count?

-Now, that I didn't expect. -As I've been saying

we all make our share of mistakes.

It's called being human.

Well, I'm going to drain a draft.

Anybody want to join me?

No, I better stay with the Major.

You go on.

How you feeling, Major?

Lighter.

[laughs]

I apologize for all the flying jokes I ever made.

-How many Gs was that... 12 million? -Seven Gs.

Lieutenant Judd wasfollowing his leader over the ridge.

What do you mean?

The Captain had to pull seven Gs just to clear it.

He never specified his G-count when I questioned him.

The Hawk didn't steal the statistical accelerometer

to protect Judd.

He did it to divert attention from himself.

What? He almost got away with it, too.

-You're losing me. -I probably would have overlooked it

if he hadn't landed high.

That's a mistake reserved for rookies

or veterans with diminishing skills.

And... If a young buck like Gerter

passes out at seven Gs

what do you think that'll do to a man

-20 years his senior? -Yeah, but he was okay up there.

Until touchdown. Captain's vulnerable to mistakes...

The kind of mistakes

that cause one to misjudge landings

and the height of telephone lines.

Are you saying

that he led Lieutenant Judd into that pole?

Oh...

Come on, let's sit down.

Put your head between your legs

and breathe deep.

It'll pass in a couple minutes.

That iswhat you're saying.

That's incredible.

Your investigation just changed

from wingman to leader.

That-that'll put us on the same side, Harm.

Where you going?

To test my theory.

[tires squeal]

Take a stroll?

You spend a lot of time with Captain...

I shouldn't have kissed you, sir.

It was a teenage stunt, incredibly stupid.

There was no excuse for it

and I'm so madat myself because I...

Lieutenant.

You seized the moment.

That's why you're an officer.

-[chuckles] -[chuckles]

Now, what can you tell me about Captain Hochausen

that might help me with my investigation?

Like what, sir?

Is he having problems with mental alertness?

No, sir.

What about sleep?

Is he getting enough?

Does he appear fatigued? No, sir.

Any problems with his eyesight?

Lieutenant?

Sir, the Captain knows what he's doing.

Yeah, but can he see

what he's doing up there?

You take him out of a plane, he'll die.

He may die if I don't take him out.

He may take a couple of people with him.

Now, specifically, Lieutenant

what do you know?

Well, sir... between you and me...

For the record.

Sir, you're not making this easy.

I think the Captain cheats on his eye exam.

He's been doing it the last few years.

He told you this?

No. I overheard him on the phone

with another senior aviator.

They-they trade techniques on how to pass the tests.

Like what? I don't know.

I just get bits and pieces.

Sir, if you think this has anything...

Thank you, Lieutenant.

I appreciate your candor.

[man] What do you want to talk to a gimp retiree for?

Is your life that uninteresting?

How's the new hip, sir?

Indestructible.

It's the flesh and bone around them

that's disintegrating.

-Cognac? -No, thank you, Admiral.

Well, I'm not going to ask if you mind if I indulge

'cause frankly, I don't give a damn.

[chuckling]

How long has it been?

Since I graduated flight school, sir.

Bet you thought you'd be landing on my gravesite.

Oh-ho, it is my personal belief, Admiral

that you will outlast us all.

[chuckling]

Prosit.

Having fun in Washington?

Are you jiggin' and JAGgin'?

-Oh, it's stimulating, sir. -What about your old man?

You any closer to finding out what happened to him

or are those stiffs on the Hill

still running you around?

I have some new leads.

Here's to the Hammer...

wherever he may be.

So, why am I talking to you, Harmon Rabb?

-You flew into your 50s, right? -One of the few.

You ever have any problems with your eyesight?

I didn't, but the base optometrist failed to agree.

You ever fudge

an eye exam?

Are your peepers going?

Uh, no, sir.

I'm investigating a crash.

I know about it.

Terrible thing.

No, Commander, I did not.

Know anyone who did?

Well...

it's been known to be done.

The majority step down when it's time.

What do you know about the techniques used?

This is about Gary Hochausen, isn't it?

Yes, sir.

A good man.

A friend.

Two civilians died, Admiral.

Here you go.

All right. Not bad.

Bring the heat now.

Come on! Come on!

Now, watch it.

There you go.

Let the old man show you.

Come on.

Whoa!

Harm! Are you joining us for dinner?

Can we have a word in private, Cap?

Is that a "no"?

This is official, sir.

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

It is my personal belief that you are now

and were at the time of the training accident

physically unsuitable to be flying category one.

What are you talking about?

I'm in better shape than my trainees.

I didn't come here to argue with you, Captain.

I came here to tell you that this makes you personally culpable

in the accidental deaths

of Melanie and Joshua Lanier.

Now, if you cooperate

I can talk to Admiral Locksley.

He'll support your resignation, and you can escape public...

Drop the attitude, Commander. And get the hell out of my shorts.

-What is this crap?! -Gary, I need you to trust me on this.

You want to kick my ass into oblivion. Why am I talking to you?

'Cause you're in trouble, and I'm trying to help.

Let me explain how that works.

Don't try to exploit my loyalty.

I'm not Lieutenant Judd.

No, you definitely are not.

You convinced him he could take a fall

and not jeopardize his career, and then he covered your tracks

by stealing the statistical accelerometer

from your own aircraft.

What the hell happened to you, Captain?

You were the most squared away officer I ever met.

What changed that would cause you

to place your flight status above your principles?

Nothing changed!

Honey...

I haven't lost a skill, an instinct

or a millisecond off my reaction time.

I know how hard it is to give it up, Captain. I've been there.

I don't have to give anything up.

I'm every damn bit as good as I've ever been

and I can do it with my eyes closed

and my stick between my toes.

We all have our limitations, sir... even you.

Well, that's the difference between you and me, Commander.

I overcame mine.

I'm still in the air.

And what if that were your wife and child in that car?

You do what you have to do.

My story stands.

Your handiwork, Lieutenant?

I don't have to speak to you, sir.

That's okay.

I'll do the talking.

I'd like to tell you a story.

It's about a young aviator

who was mentored by a senior instructor.

This mentor liked this young man very much...

So much so that he covered for the aviator's

occasional mistakes.

It came to pass, however

that the mentor himself made a mistake

so, he went to his protégé

and he asked him to return the favor.

The problem was, it was a big mistake.

People died.

The question for the aviator now

was should he stand by the man

who stood by him

or should he do

what he felt was right in his heart?

You know who I'm talking about, Lieutenant?

No, sir.

I'm talking about myself.

And I've made my decision.

Care to know what it is?

Ted Lanier deserves to know the truth

about the death of his family.

I owe him that as a human being

as a representative of my country

and as a man who hopes to one day

have a wife and child of his own.

You can relate to that, can't you?

Excuse me, sir.

I have to use the head.

[ sighing]

[Schiparelli] You wanted to see me, Major?

At ease.

Lieutenant, I think it's time we patched things up.

I'd like that, ma'am.

Admiral Locksley's decided to send the charges

to an Article 32 hearing.

How does that involve me?

The Commander has informed me

that you have possible incriminating evidence

involving Captain Hochausen.

I'm sorry, Lieutenant.

I'm obligated to reveal new information

to opposing counsel.

You want me to testify against my mentor?

If it means clearing Lieutenant Judd

of sole responsibility, yes.

If it wasn't for Captain Hochausen...

This is bigger than your relationship

with the Captain, Lieutenant.

Pardon me, sir, but aren't you speaking for yourself?

There's a difference between loyalty

and being indebted to someone.

Captain would have us believe

they're one and the same.

Permission to speak freely, sir?

This sucks.

[Hochausen] At that point, a severe downdraft

swept under my fuselage and caught Lieutenant Judd's Tomcat

which dropped approximately ten meters

causing it to hit the telephone pole

at the western edge of the ridge.

[Rabb] Let the record reflect

that I am handing the witness exhibit one...

A report from base weather control

stating turbulence was on the eastern side

of the ridge.

The western, or windward side

was not considered hazardous to even private

let alone supersonic aircraft.

Weather control was not flying with us, Commander.

Are you suggesting the downdraft was undetectable, Captain?

By electronic instrumentation.

You mean, like a phantom wind, Captain?

No. It was quite real.

[Rabb] Sir, isn't Lieutenant Judd using this wind

to avoid a charge of pilot error?

It wasn't pilot error, it was a downdraft.

Magnified by my wake turbulence.

I could sense it.

It was there.

If the prosecution is finished

the defense would like to call to the stand Lieutenant

Tina Schiparelli.

The prosecution is not yet finished, Counselor.

Captain, I'd like to discuss those senses.

Isn't it true, sir

that on the day of the accident

your diminished depth perception

caused you to lead Lieutenant Judd

to a point too close to the ridge

and that it was this action, not the wind conditions

which caused him to have neither the time nor the space he needed

to avoid striking the top of the telephone pole?

No, Commander, that is not true.

Let the record reflect

that I am submitting exhibit two:

a stipulation of fact signed by myself and Major MacKenzie

stating that on the day of the flight

re-creation, Captain Hochausen seriously misjudged his landing.

You've never done that, Commander?

Yes, sir, I have, and as a result, I no longer

fly at night.

Captain, what is the General

visual response to heavy G-forces?

The cone of vision is... narrowed

peripherals are reduced.

Is this why all pilots undergo such rigorous eye exams?

It is.

What is your vision, Captain?

20/20.

Are you familiar with a technique called...

"the deep squeeze"?

-I am not. -Apparently

if you squeeze your eyes with your lids shut

it momentarily changes the shape of the eyeball.

Gives you one second of 20/20 vision...

Enough time to read an eye chart.

Are you familiar with the technique

now that I've described it, Cap?

No.

I'm told some senior aviators use it to pass their eye exam.

None that I know of.

Let the record reflect

that I am...

standing on a line previously marked

by the base ophthalmologist.

This is a common eye chart, Captain.

I know what it is.

Please read

the fifth line for me, sir.

These are not clinical conditions.

The doctor has assured me

they're sufficient, Captain. Please.

"F-Z-B-D-E."

Very good, sir.

Next two lines.

"H-O-F-

L-C-T-A-P-E-O-T-F-Q."

And now, the 20/20 line.

"T-Z-V-E-C-L-G-N."

There's another technique

I haven't yet mentioned.

Since these eye charts are relatively uniform

the individual simply memorizes them.

Read the line again, Cap.

Please.

"I-F-L-Y-

N-A-V-Y."

The line was altered, Captain.

I submit to the convening authority

that Captain Gary Hochausen

was unable to properly determine

the correct range of the oncoming ridge

endangering his wingman in the process

and inadvertently causing the deaths

of Melanie and Joshua Lanier.

Unusual prosecutorial approach, Commander.

I couldn't do it to her, Mac.

She'd agreed to testify.

Yeah, it would have been like putting a knife

in the hand of Brutus.

So, you stabbed him yourself.

I would have preferred to do it my way.

Well, we both lost, Mac.

Lieutenant Judd lied.

He was manipulated.

He's still facing disciplinary action.

[sighing]

Good day for flying.

Or thinking.

You torpedoed me, Commander.

We have to do what we have to do, Captain

in combat and in life.

Who fed you that load?

You did, first time I met you.

Well, at least I went down in a dogfight.

I know this changes things, Captain.

It doesn't mean that one day we can't mend fences.

Yes, it does.