Factual error: The suits worn by dangerous disease researchers would definitely never tear if the hose was pulled.
Factual error: In the scenes where Daniels and Salt are flying together in the helicopter, the pilot, Salt, would be in the right seat. Although it is possible to fly the helicopter from either seat, the primary controls are on the right of the helicopter (Loach, Hughes OH-6 included). Even an inexperienced pilot would never jump into the left seat when the other person has no flight experience. Left seat primary controls are in fixed wing aircraft.
Factual error: When the camera is panning through the different rooms of USAMRIID it exits out of BSL-3 and as it does a female technician takes her breathing mask off before she opens the door. This is supposed to be the highly infectious room that tests things like Anthrax or H.I.V. yet this woman not only takes her mask off she's not even quarantined or decontaminated.
Factual error: The "African" monkey that they're chasing around is actually a South American species. It's also Marcel from Friends.
Factual error: Every centrifuge ever made comes with a locking system that prevents the lid being opened while the centrifuge is in motion, so even if someone was as stupid as the lab assistant who put his hand in a spinning centrifuge, they would not be able to.
Factual error: The bomber used as "Sandman" is a C-123. That aircraft was no longer in use by the US Air Force or any military branch in the US by the early 80s. The movie takes place in 1995. The C-123 was replaced by the C-130.
Factual error: When Sam Daniels and Casey are walking to the BSL-4 lab we see the shoulder insignia on Casey's coat are silver oak leaves. Silver oak leaves are the insignia of an O-5, Lieutenant Colonel, but Casey is supposed to be an O-4, Major (which would be represented by gold oak leaves). The only possible explanation is that Casey was promoted after the trip to Zaire, however this is extremely unlikely; if he were promoted to O-5 he would likely be given his own crew and no longer a member of Daniel's staff. (00:23:10)
Suggested correction: It's a guess with no basis of fact.
Factual error: At the beginning of the movie, a military plane that appears to be a DC-3 drops a large bomb out from its tail area. Problem being, the DC-3 has no door under its tail, as is found on modern military transport planes or the one used at the end of the film. The DC-3 only has side doors.
