Factual error: In the first 15 minutes of the movie, a Delta Force operative is seen wearing a pair of Oakley X-Metal Juliets. The events portrayed in the movie took place in 1993. Oakley didn't make the Juliets until 1999. (00:05:02)
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: We see Mr Otto's convoy in the desert. In the shot of Mr Otto when the Black Hawk comes down into shot, there are 3 people in the side door. When we see the driver of the truck, there are 4 people in the side door area. Camera goes back to Mr Otto and now there are 3 people again. (00:06:05)
Continuity mistake: When Mr. Atto offers the General a cigar, the cigars in his cigar holder switch places. (00:06:49)
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)
Factual error: When Blackburn reports for duty, he is asked his "Serial Number" and reels off some 7 digit number. However the US armed forces all stopped using Service (not serial) Numbers by 1974 at the latest, and started using the 9 digit Social Security Number instead. (00:11:00)
Continuity mistake: When Blackburn is reporting for duty, he asks what it's like. Grimes then puts his hands out, palm down. Camera changes and his fists are now clenched with no time to clench them. (00:11:30)
Revealing mistake: At the shooting range just after Blackburn has reported to duty, a Humvee pulls up and the barrel of the .50 on top is wobbling - it's a rubber prop. (00:12:48)
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)
Continuity mistake: When Eversman explains about the situation, the guy in the background with the little book about the Somalians has the book up by his mouth in some shots and down by his side in others. (00:18:20)
Continuity mistake: When the original leader for Chalk Four runs and sits down in front of the TV back at the base to watch the Steve Martin movie, the Jerk, he has a remote control in his right hand. As he has his seizure and falls with the remote control in his hand, subsequent scenes show it is not in his hand, then it is. (00:19:05)
Factual error: In the first few scenes of the movie, Muslims are shown praying towards the east, proven 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. (00:19:35)
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)
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)
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 all units are heading into town, there is a shot from the roadside of the convoy heading in. The camera cuts to the Black Hawks and all the gunners in the Hummvee's have changed position instantly. (00:36:25)
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)
Visible crew/equipment: Near the beginning as the helicopters fly in formation to invade Mogadishu, you can see the tail control surface of the film helicopter providing the shot for said scene. (00:38:20)
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: When the soldiers first go into the town in the helicopters, one of the helicopters lands on a roof. The camera cuts away for a split second, but when it comes back to the helicopter that landed on the roof, the blades have stopped moving completely within that one second. (00:41:01)
Suggested correction: Two problems with this mistake. First off, as the little bird is only dropping 4 guys off, then going to its holding pattern, there is no way the pilot would turn the rotors off. Secondly, the blades are out of shot of the camera so you can't confirm if they did stop.
