Originally Posted by
Mike Flynn
While it seems that the end result is the same, I believe the background circumstances leading to these two sad events were very, very different.
All this thread points to the Sala flight breaking all sorts of rules as well as common sense from the outset and, as
Albatros123 points out, most people question a range of aspects linked to the flight even before departing on the fateful Cardiff trip. Most would agree that the flight, as planned and based on crew quals/experience, quite apart from seeming to be illegal, was an accident primed to happen or, certainly, to be of “high risk”.
Having known Dave Hocking in the past, and who was so sadly involved in the Spanish accident, I’d suggest he and Simon may well have been genuinely caught out by something. I hope we can see an accident report as it will at least be some good to come out of their sad loss. Was it even something as simple as VFR converted to IFR with a mis-set altimeter leading to CFIT? Was the suspected Alternator issue a factor, particularly as Dave ran an Engineering business? Or did that lead to complacency? As a glider pilot as well, Dave would have been well aware of the risks of ridges, especially at low level. Or did
that lead to complacency? Arguably, there are probably far more useful lessons to come out of Spain to prevent a repeat.
Yes, the end result is two pilots (and their pax) found themselves flying into the ground (either CFIT or uncontrolled) but it’s how they ended up there which is, I suggest, where the difference is significant. Gethomeitis? Certainly a huge factor in the Sala crash, possibly in the Spanish crash. I hope we see a Report for the latter.
But, whatever the cause, may all 4 Rest in Peace.
H ‘n’ H