Originally Posted by
Eutychus
Originally Posted by
Romaro
...flew this private, N-Reg, single-piston engined aircraft for McKay to transport footballers from A to B, occassionaly IFR, in EU airspace, one can rationally assume that payment was involved between the parties for services rendered. (...) In multiple respects this is simply illegal.
Aggh, I thought I was just getting a handle on all this... which part of this is "simpy illegal"?
Simply, if the pilot holds an FAA CPL (commercial pilot licence) and an FAA IR and if no payment is asked from the footballers, then it is perfectly legal.
It is a private flight paid and organised by the aircraft operator.
If the pilot is FAA PPL (private pilot licence) with an FAA IR, it could still be legal (but on the edge) if the pilot is not paid and if the flight is organised by him and the footballers.
Some participation to the flight cost by the passengers is even possible in this configuration.
If the flight is paid by the passengers, it is illegal in the absence of an AOC (air operator's certificate).
The PA46 of the accident at hand was not fit for AOC operation (engine is not a turbine).
The AOC is held by the aircraft operator.
If the pilot does not hold the proper licence CPL + IR (or PPL + IR) then it is also illegal.
I don't have the complete meteorological picture (see partial info here:
Cardiff City Footballer Feared Missing after aircraft disappeared near Channel Island)
but it seems that this type of the aircraft was fit to the task, if all de-icing equipment was serviceable.
The pilot could have flown above the weather at flight level 200 (20000 ft) and the de-icing boots and pads could have dealt with light and moderate icing on approach.
The chosen flight profile with a cruising altitude of 5000 ft (even below airway floor) is hard to understand.
I wonder if the pilot was very experienced in IFR flying in winter IMC conditions.