Continuity mistake: The three Marine helicopters leaving the carrier are three UH1N Marine model helicopters. When they arrive in Bosnia to rescue the downed Navy pilot the same helicopters become two Bell model 205C and a Bell 412. When landing back on the carrier with the rescued pilot, they are again N models. (01:26:50)
Continuity mistake: After seeing his pilot get shot, Owen Wilson's character starts running uphill while being shot at. Of course you know he's being shot at because you can see the tracers. However, after cresting the hill, and starting down the other side, you STILL see rounds going past him. How did they get smart bullets? (00:31:55)
Continuity mistake: During the scene in which in the downed Navy pilot is roughing it out in the abandoned factory, before the mines start exploding, you can see that the spot of blood on his left cheek keeps on mysteriously disappearing & reappearing.
Continuity mistake: Owen Wilson's character is being chased and falls into the mass grave covering himself with another body. As he crawls out he is covered in mud. In the following scenes neither he nor his uniform have a trace of mud or blood. (00:45:10)
Continuity mistake: Barnett takes a drink of the Coke from the girl. When he goes to have another slug of the Coke, there is more in the bottle.
Continuity mistake: When the pilots are talking about the DMZ, they point to the left of the plane (port side) then you see the forest move from right to left. The plane is now headed in the opposite direction.
Continuity mistake: Gene Hackman begins the movie as a two-star rear admiral. Later in the movie, however, shortly after the second stand-down ordered by NATO Admiral Piquet, he wears three stars on his collar, signifying a promotion to vice admiral. This is highly unlikely, as he spends nearly all of the movie in the grease with his superiors. By the end of the movie, he retires as an Admiral with 4 stars on his uniform.
Continuity mistake: When Burnett takes off, the wheels start to retract in one angle. Camera cuts and they're back out. (00:14:20)
Continuity mistake: When the man walking with the tracker steps on the mine, one shot the mine is pushed forward and in the next it has been pushed backwards. (01:24:10)
Continuity mistake: During the ejection sequence there is a major problem with the parachutes used by the crew. When you see the first parachute open, it is a standard Navy Conical round canopy with 3 colours; Orange, Green and White from the bottom view. A moment later they are flying ram air rectangular parachutes with different colour patterns.
Continuity mistake: When Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson) jumps in front of the red truck to get a ride it slides to the right while the skid marks slide to the left. (01:02:50 - 01:03:55)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Burnett falls into the graves, those watching the infrared satellite image on the carrier say that after Burnett falls, he never moves. If he doesn't move, then how did get under a body? (00:43:20)
Continuity mistake: When the tank fires into the building Burnett and the other man flies through the air landing on the floor. When they are about to get up we see broken glass beside Burnett. When it cuts the glass is gone. Also when they land Burnett's head is facing the man. When it cuts they lie feet against feet. (01:08:05)
Continuity mistake: The plane's weapons are there in some shots and not there in some shots. At 14:22, on the carrier you can clearly see 2 sidewinder missiles on the tips of the wings. At 14:52, they are there but are now blue. At 14:53, as it goes past "SHOOTER" they are gone. 14:57 there again.
Continuity mistake: After takeoff is aborted, the crew leaves their aircraft on the catapult, still facing the bow of the ship. When Owen Wilson grabs the football and runs to the bow of the ship, in the background there is no aircraft lined up on the catapult. (00:04:30)
Continuity mistake: When Burnett is on the phone with his dad a man writes "Stackhouse/Burnett" on a board. Later in the close-up the handwriting has changed. (00:12:45)
Continuity mistake: The SAM that's used to shot down the F-18 is a BRDM-2 mounted 9K31 Strela-1 which uses either 9M31 or 9M31M IR missiles. The missiles seen flying after the F-18 aren't either of those models. (00:18:40)
Continuity mistake: In the launch scene of the recon mission, one camera shot is centered on the aircraft's lower fuselage as it is moving on the catapult towards and to the right of the camera. If you look closely, you will notice that there are rounded intakes on the aircraft. Those intakes are only on the regular Hornet (F/A-18A-D). The Super Hornet (F/A-18E/F) has rectangular intakes like the Tomcat. (00:14:50)
Continuity mistake: Right after Stackhouse and Brunett has been spotted flying by the serbian soldiers and the soldier enters Lokar's office, we see Lokar resting his head in his hand while holding a cigarette. When it cuts he is no longer resting his head but he takes a lung full up smoke instead. (00:17:45)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Burnett stops the Pickup truck and it skids. The blond haired passenger on the truckbed is leaning on the rail and suddenly on the next shot he is leaning on the truck cab. (01:03:00)
