Factual error: In several shots where the helicopters are flying in the minutes after the start of the operation, you see the shadows of the choppers being projected from the sea to the coast. On an October afternoon, the sun would already be over the land to the west, casting shadows out to sea. (00:38:00)
Continuity mistake: When the two Delta Force members are defending the second downed chopper one of them shoots an attacker and he does a unique side flip as he dies. After the story progresses a few minutes we see the same attacker shot and flipping again but from a different camera angle. (01:30:33)
Continuity mistake: In the scene with the aerial view of the Rangers pinned down at night the camera uses night-vision to show its dark. Then the scene changes to General Garrison in the command centre and the live TV screens behind him show reused daytime footage from earlier in the movie. (01:52:01)
Continuity mistake: When the soldiers are trying to clamp Jamie's femoral artery, there is a shot of Jamie's head and a comrade next to him holding it. He has no blood on his head, but all of a sudden it just appears. It wasn't from his leg as his comrades were putting pressure on it at the time, so it wasn't squirting blood. (01:42:05)
Factual error: In the background of the scene involving CPT Steele giving SGT Eversmann charge of the Chalk 4, is a transport plane bearing the tail number of a Moroccan civilian plane (CN-ANG). Morocco was not a combatant in Operation Gothic Serpent. (00:19:55)
Visible crew/equipment: Just after Pilla is killed we see Aidid walking with his MP5. In his sunglasses the camera is reflected as clear as day. (00:48:20)
Suggested correction: That wasn't Aidid, and the person you mention didn't have an MP5.
Factual error: About 20 to 30 minutes into the movie, they show a command and control helicopter flying over the city tracking the white car with the black x on it. There are numerous overhead shots of that command and control helicopter as it watches the marked car move about the city. The helicopter in those overhead shots is a old Vietnam era Huey providing command and control. I doubt the 160th SOAR ever had a UH-1 in it's inventory. (00:34:05)
Continuity mistake: When the Humvees and the trucks pull up to get the prisoners, there is a shot of a man shooting an M60 on top of a Humvee. In the next shot it reveals all the guns on the Humvees are .50 caliber. (00:44:05)
Continuity mistake: When they call for a stretcher for Blackburn, the stretcher is half folded up. The camera does an instant cut and it is now fully open. They don't unfold that quickly. (00:45:40)
Suggested correction: The scene shows them opening it that quickly.
The stretcher changes from partially opened to fully opened between shots. Meaning no time has elapsed to finishing opening it, which is why it's a continuity mistake.
Visible crew/equipment: When Grimes takes out the technical, he dives to the ground when an RPG explodes near him. As he hits the ground, a camera covered by a blue and grey blanket can be seen to his left.
Revealing mistake: When Josh Hartnett is talking to his friend's body near the end after his friend was killed in action, he touches his friend's chest. You can see the actor jump because he wasn't expecting Josh to touch him or wasn't prepared for it, his eyes even twitch and almost open.
Visible crew/equipment: The rocket launcher hits the transport truck and blows the Ranger out with his legs gone. When the convoy begins to stop you will see the Humvee with the gunner and beside him is the cameraman.
Other mistake: When several of the Rangers are carrying Blackburn's litter up to the target building and they cross an intersection, you can spot an empty, stationary Black Hawk helicopter at roof level further down that alley/street as one of the Rangers fires at the Somalis. This was after all the Black Hawks had gone into their holding pattern. (00:48:15)
Continuity mistake: Blackburn falls from the chopper and Eversman looks out the side with his goggles on. Camera shows him from outside the chopper and he doesn't have his goggles on. (00:40:20)
Continuity mistake: Grimes asks Wad why he isn't shooting back. Look in the background and you can see Eversman call Galentine over and say something to him. We then see a clip of the fire fight followed by Eversman calling Galentine over again. (00:45:20)
Visible crew/equipment: Hoot cuts in front of Blackburn at the base. As Blackburn says about there being a line, a camera is reflected in Hoot's sun glasses. (00:14:20)
Revealing mistake: While running at the very end, there is a close-up shot where a Ranger lifts his rifle to fire. We see it recoil against his shoulder, and we hear several shots, but he doesn't pull the trigger. His finger lies flat against the gun. (02:04:05)
Continuity mistake: At the start, Mr Otto states he is just a businessman while his cigar is in his hand held away from his face. Camera changes and his cigar is in his mouth. (00:07:10)
Revealing mistake: When Mr Otto's convoy is seen at the start all 3 trucks are kicking up a dust trail. However is one of the long shots, the first truck is not kicking up a dust trail and the bit of dust that was up in the air has disappeared. (00:05:50)
Continuity mistake: Grimes gets handed a death letter and he holds it up. Camera changes and his arm and the letter are not in sight, which they should be at that angle. (00:29:00)
