Goofs for
Black Hawk Down (2001) More at IMDbPro »

• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: As with any "based on a true story" movie, especially one involving complex military operations, there are many ways in which the plot of the movie differs from the actual events. The exigencies of dramatic storytelling also require that certain practices and procedures are not accurately portrayed. Though, technically, these might be thought of as goofs, it's a movie, not a documentary.
  
  
• Anachronisms: One of the soldiers is seen wearing a pair of Oakley "X-Metal Juliet" sunglasses. These glasses were not released until 2000.
  
  
• Continuity: In the satellite image, the helicopter hovering over the city is a Bell UH-1 "Huey" but in the regular aerial shots, it is a UH-60 Blackhawk.
  
  

• Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Mr. Atto leaves Mogadishu in the Land Rover convoy, the last Rover clearly squeals its tires on a dusty dirt road.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: Numerous times in the film when any helicopter lands, we hear the familiar chirp-chirp-chirp sound. This is characteristic only of the famous Bell H-13G (the MASH chopper), and then only of the rubber drive belt disengaging from the rotor column.
  
  
• Continuity: After Sgt. Busch crawls out of the first Black Hawk wreck, the goggles on his helmet disappear and reappear several times.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: While evacuating prisoners, McKnight's voice is very obviously overdubbed, as Sizemore's mouth appears to be saying something completely different from what is heard.
  
  
• Continuity: When Sgt. Sanderson was lying prone and ordering one of his Delta soldiers to draw fire from some Somalis on a vehicle, he was waving his left arm. But when the camera switches to behind him, he is waving his right arm.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: Dolly tracks are visible in opening shot.
  
  
• Continuity: When Hoot takes over the 0.50 caliber machine gun, his gloves disappear and reappear between cuts.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: A white-shirted cameraman is visible, crouching over a camera in the back of a Humvee when it stops to let the old man past.
  
  
• Anachronisms: While flying into Mogadishu one soldier holds a paperback edition of John Grisham's novel "The Client." In October 1993, this book was only available in hardcover; the paperback was not published until March 1994.
  
  
• Factual errors: The call to prayer in the beginning was called after the sun had risen. In Islam, there are no calls to prayer after sunrise until after noon.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: When the city forces take over the second black hawk helicopter, a shot from the point of view of the wounded soldier reveals a camera and crane on the right-hand side of the screen.
  
  
• Continuity: When Blackburn is lying on the stretcher they put his legs straight. Next time we see his legs, up close they are clearly bent.
  
  
• Continuity: The rifle disappears and reappears in Durant's lap between cuts.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: After the first black hawk has crashed, a lone soldier guarding the wreckage comes under fire by Somalis with RPGs. In a side-shot of one of the missiles flying past, you can see a wire in the air along its trajectory.
  
  
• Continuity: The mini-guns and rocket launchers mounted on Little Bird disappear and reappear between shots (being replaced by flat benches) after it breaks formation when it is sent to Walcot's crash site.
  
  
• Continuity: As Durant's chopper is crashing, the gunners disappear and reappear between shots.
  
  
• Continuity: The position of Durant's Blackhawk in the satellite images after it crashes. This is presumably because one is the real satellite image. (several were used in making the movie)
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: During the Mogadishu Mile, Rangers and Delta are being left behind by the UN. In the high shot where the vehicles go downhill then the soldiers appear, there are two crewmembers wearing blue shirts on the roof of the top right building.
  
  
• Continuity: The appearance of Hoot's rifle changes throughout the movie, often between shots (this is especially noticeable when he is firing out of the window of the Humvee).
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: When Eversmann and his men are running back to the their base, he dodges some gun fire and squats behind an old car for cover. As he does so, his "mark" is visible on the road at the spot where he stops running and dodges behind the car.
  
  
• Continuity: In one shot, a Black Hawk helicopter is flying over the ocean; soldiers can been in its cabin with their legs hanging out over the sides. In the next the shot(s), the same helicopter cabin is empty.
  
  
• Anachronisms: While 2Lt. John Beales is having an epileptic seizure, Days of the New's "Die Born" is being played by the soldiers in the background. The movie takes place in 1993, but the album from which this song originates was not released until 2001.
  
  
• Factual errors: The Little Bird helicopter does not have a high tech sighting system as shown locking onto the strobe light. The pilot uses a grease pencil cross or dot on the windshield to aim his guns and rockets.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: While running the "Mogadishu Mile" at the very end, there is a close-up shot where a Delta unit lifts his rifle, it recoils against his shoulder, and we hear several shots, but he doesn't pull the trigger - his finger lies flat against the trigger guard
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: The .50 caliber machine guns on some of the Humvees are dummy guns whose barrels flop about as the vehicles drive over rough terrain, such as when Blackburn goes to the shooting range to meet Eversmann.
  
  
• Continuity: The position of Grimes and Blackburn at the shooting range.
  
  
• Errors in geography: When the soldiers are waiting for the mission to get underway they are discussing the details while shooting baskets, in the background there is a group of farm houses set in a green field.
  
  
• Continuity: When Sgt. Struecker enters the lead Humvee in the three-vehicle column to return to base, he closes the door which is missing the glass in the window. In the next shot where Struecker is driving the Humvee, the glass has re-appeared.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Nelson, Twombly and Yurek are running down the street towards Eversmann's position, there are cars and buses driving past in the background in the high shot.
  
  
• Continuity: When Sgt. Eversmann is talking to Captain Steele about a medevac for Cpl. Smith, the soldier behind Steele appears to be dead with blood all over his face. Although, when Steele radios to the chopper circling overhead, the same man is alive and holding up two IV bags, with no trace of blood on his mouth.
  
  
• Factual errors: When the muezzin (who recites Azan (Moslem call for prayer)) calls for the morning prayer on the minaret, we can see that the sun had already risen. Which means the time for morning prayer is already over. The muezzin should have recited the call for prayer at least an hour earlier (which is done all over in the Moslem countries).
  
  
• Continuity: Cliff Wolcott's helmet model changes right after his helo is hit by an RPG. He wouldn't have switched helmets during a flight.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: In at least one scene depicting the US Base, and shows a C-130 Hercules transport in the background, you can see the country symbol on it (round and red) that shows it to be a Moroccan Air Force Hercules, which is where the movie was filmed.
  
  
• Continuity: After Blackburn falls, Eversmann ropes out of the helicopter. When he begins down the rope, another Ranger grabs the rope to descend after him. However, the long shot of the rope and the scene after Eversmann reaches the ground indicate no one was following him.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: When Garrison says," Good luck boys, and be careful. No one gets left behind," briefly in the hangar you see two white shirted crew members and the camera.
  
  
• Continuity: When Chalk 4 are pinned down by a .50 caliber machine gun, a Little Bird is waiting above. In the shot from the top, it is a Bell Huey, then when it fires at the gunner it is a Little Bird again.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: The tail fin on UH-1 Huey camera helicopter is visible on the right side of the frame on the pan when the Black Hawks and Little Birds fly out over the ocean.
  
  
• Errors in geography: In the first few scenes of the movie, Muslims are shown praying towards the east, proved by the sunrise they are facing. But the holy city of Mecca would be to the north, northwest of Somalia, not to the east as it is from in North America.
  
  
• Miscellaneous: In the Spanish localized version, as in the German one, when Garrison and McKnight talk about Spectre gunships, the word "Gunship" is translated into the Spanish word "Helicóptero" which means helicopter.
  
  
• Continuity: Before Gordon is killed Durant is sitting with Gordon's rifle in his lap. Later Gordon is killed then Shughart gives Durant Gordon's Rifle.
  
  
• Anachronisms: At the start of the film, most of the pilots were shown with SPH-4A/B flight helmets, but a few are wearing newer HGU-56/P helmets. The movie takes place in October 1993, but the Army did not begin fielding the HGU-56's until 1995.
  
  
• Continuity: The black that is on Grimes face changes from fully black to half of his face black during the scene when he's giving coffee to Sanderson
  
  
• Continuity: When Shugart drops his rifle and uses his pistol when he is being overrun, in the first shot he is holding only one and with both hands. After he is first shot, he drops his weapon. In the next shot, he is holding two pistols.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Gordon is defending the second crash site he switches from his sound-suppressed M4 sniper rifle to his Colt M1911A1 pistol. The first time he uses his 1911 pistol, he fires 7 shots rapidly to kill charging Somalians. The first shot locks the slide back but the next six are clearly added in because the shells don't fly out and the gun still fires despite the slide being locked back. The next six muzzle flashes must have been added in post-production.
  
  
• Continuity: when CPT Steele calls out SFC Hooten to point out the safety of his weapon, it is obvious that when Hooten turns around, the right side of his rifle is facing outward but when Steele's finger is pointing at the safety lever, the left side of the rifle is facing outward
  
  
• Continuity: After Pvt Blackburn falls out of the Black Hawk, SPC Grimes and Waddel are talking about why he is not firing yet. You see Sgt Eversmann and Schmid attending to Blackburn while Eversmann waves for Gallentine (the one with the radio phone) and he approaches and is kneeling by Blackburn in the background. In the next shot Gallentine again runs to and kneels by Blackburn.
  
  
• Continuity: When the first Black Hawk is shot down, after it hits the ground you see its aileron at the rear without a pattern. The next time you see it (when the aircraft turns on its side) it has patterns on it.
  
  
• Factual errors: When the soldiers are firing the mini guns from the helicopters, the shells are falling out too slowly. A raining stream would fall out, not a small line of shells.
  
  
• Factual errors: During the opening scenes when the prayer music is being sent over loud speakers. At the time of the movie plot, this capability did not exist in the capitol city of Mogadishu. The city was without power and completely in the middle of a revolution.
  
  
• Crew or equipment visible: After Super6-1 goes down and an RPG is shot at the crew chief defending the position, the wire that the RPG is attached to is visible after passing through.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the scene where Grimes is covering Sanderson and fires his weapon towards Somalis with heavy machine gun mounted on a car (about 1:23), we can see the soldier who was ordered to cover Sanderson yelling "I'm jammed!" but his lips do not move at all.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When a Ranger throws out a frag grenade, Sgt. Eversman warns his men by yelling "Grenade!" Proper designation would be to yell "Frag out!" as yelling "Grenade!" warns the men of an incoming grenade, not an outgoing one.
  
  
• Continuity: When Shughart and Gordon are defending Durant's helicopter, at one point, Gordon shoots a Somali in a yellow shirt. After he is killed, Shughart shoots the same Somali a few seconds later.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In several scenes, such as in the lunch line when Steele is getting onto Hoot about his weapon, it is possible to see the knobs on the carry handles, revealing them to be M4A1s. These were not developed until 1994.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: During the entire movie, when the soldier's are talking on the AN/PRC-119A radios they are able to talk and receive transmissions. However the radio is on "Stand By" and there is no RF cable attached to the antenna connector. So even if the radio was on they would not be able to talk on those radios.
  
  
• Factual errors: Just after the task force takes off from the airfield, they pass over a kid with a cell phone who call's the militia leader to warn him. The militia leader is told, "Ma-alint" which has come to mean "Rangers" in the language of modern Somalia. But that is really an abbreviation of "Ma-alinti Rangers" which is a National Holiday in Somalia celebrated on the anniversary of the battle, October 3rd. The phrase did not exist until the year after the battle.
  
  
• Factual errors: When the first Humvee convoy to return is departing for their second time back out in Mogadishu, you can see a C-130 without propellers. The C-130 is a propeller aircraft
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Yurek runs to join Eversman at the first crash site, there are kicks of dust as bullets hit the ground as he runs for cover. The sound of bullets has been edited out however. Afterwards when Nelson runs the same route, there are no kicks of dust at all.
  
  
• Continuity: When Pilla is shot, his wound is on the right side of his neck. Yet when his body is taken out of the Humvee later on, the wound has jumped to the left side.
  
  
• Audio/visual unsynchronized: When PFC Blackburn and SSG Eversmann first meet, PFC Blackburn's subtitles incorrectly show him as saying, "Yes sir, you want me to shoot?" when he actually says, "Yes sarn't, you want me to shoot?" The distinction between the two is very important as in the United States Army, Sergeants are never referred to as "Sir". Only commissioned officers are referred to as "Sir". "Sarn't" is a common shortening of "sergeant".
  
  
• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The uniforms worn are 3-color desert combat uniforms (DCU) with 6-color "chocolate chip" desert Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) helmet covers. This is correct. The new DCUs adopted in 1992 (after Desert Storm) had entered the supply chain by 1993 and had begun to be issued before the Somalia incident. Elite formations like the Rangers and Special Forces are usually the first to receive new equipment, and were so equipped in Mogadishu in October 1993. The reason they still wore the older camouflaged helmet covers was due to the fact that the covers had not been issued yet. It is has been historically quite common for US helmet covers and other camouflage accessories to lag behind in the distribution of new patterned uniforms.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Twomley and his partner are talking about the Humvee convoy, you can see that he is using blank rounds instead of regular 7.62 rounds. 7.62 rounds would be tipped, blank rounds are pinched like his are.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Before Blackburn misses the rope, there's a Somali with a RPG launcher running upstairs. He holds it over his shoulder while it's still unloaded, clearly visible even for himself as the missing RPG can't be overlooked. It wouldn't make much sense to carry the weapon "ready-to-shoot" when it still needs to be put down and loaded, assuming the shot is more or less skilled.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Eversmann's team proceeds to the first crash site, the supervisor reports: "Hostiles advancing parallel west your position." This would be misleading as the enemy is actually east of the team, according to the direction of the shadows as well as the fact that the scene takes place in the afternoon, well after 03:45 PM. It is questionable if the mission supervisor would use this kind of orientation, instead of rather saying something like "enemies at 9 o' clock".
  
  
• Factual errors: When the gunner in McKnight's Humvee is taken out, Hoot takes over the gun. Before firing, he pulls the handle back on the weapon. This would not be needed, since the gun was not jammed, nor had just been reloaded.
  
  
• Continuity: On their way to the first crash site, Eversmann's team members sneak around a house corner. A Somali opens fire with a heavy machine gun and a RPG is being shot, both hitting the house corner hard and debris is flying around. After a Little Bird has taken out the Somali, the team advances. In the following shots, the house corner shows no traces of the impacts.
  
  
• Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Pilla gets shot, the first KIA, he lands on Thomas on his right shoulder and soaks his uniform in blood. In one scene when Streuker's column is ready to depart the base, it appears that Thomas's left arm (not his right) is covered in blood. However, this is due to the fact that the audience is looking through Sgt Streuker's point of view, who is watching Thomas through the mirror of his Humvee.
  
  
• Continuity: When SFC Randy Shughart turns to his handgun to fight off the Somalia, he is shot once in the right shoulder and is forced to switch firing hand. He is then shot again in his left upper arm and drops the handgun as he clutches his wound. However in the next shot he fires at the Somalia again, with the handgun back in his grasp, and with no visible proof that he was clutching his arm mere seconds ago.
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: When Blackburn gives his Military I.D (which consist of only numbers) to Grimes you can clearly see that when he types it into the database he uses the letter keys all over the keypad and not the top line of number keys only.
  
  
• Anachronisms: When the sharpshooter takes out the Land Rover carrying Atto, the date is October 2nd, 1993. The Discovery does not exist at the time of the incident. As well, the vehicle changes from a Defender model to a Discovery in the close ups and distance shots.
  
  

• Continuity: SPOILER: After Gordon is killed in the 2nd crash, Shughart takes over. We see a shot of a Somali shooting Shughart. In the next shot Shughart is dead. After that we see him dropping the g3sas the second time and he is still sitting up.
  
  
• Factual errors: SPOILER: When Durant's crash site is overrun, Randy Shugart is shot 11 times with a Tokarev pistol which only holds eight rounds.
  
  
• Continuity: SPOILER: In the scenes where Sfc. Norm 'Hoot' Hooten takes a couple of men out of the convoy to continue on foot to the second crash site because the convoy can't get there due to barricades, the number and type (Delta Operator or Ranger) of men with him changes variously between cuts. (Delta Operators and Rangers can be told apart by their helmets)
  
  
• Continuity: SPOILER: Before Sfc. Randy Shughart gives CWO Michael Durant his fallen comrade, MSgt. Gary Gordon's rifle, CWO Michael Durant is already seen with the rifle in his lap for one small scene (the last scene of him before Sfc. Randy Shughart gives him the rifle).
  
  
• Revealing mistakes: SPOILER: When Eversmann goes to see Jamie Smith's body at the end of the movie, he says to Smith that he will go and talk to his "mom and pop" when he gets home. He then pats Smith's chest and Smith's eyes twitch showing that he isn't really dead.
  
  

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