Originally Posted by
n5296s
It's slightly to the right of 101, which makes a perfect visual ILS (if you see what I mean).
It's at 692 feet (according to caltopo), so IF the ceilings being given were correct, it would have worked. But your suggestion of hitting a fog bank seems highly probable, so the ceiling info would be wrong in that case.
As for taking a car from KCMA - it's only 3 miles or so but if they were already hitting a deadline... we all know that "just taking a car" easily adds half an hour to the journey time.
Sure. But if they had done an IFR flight (I don't have time to look up the TEC routes now) say SLI - LAX - SMO - CMA they would have had ample time to check IF they could get visual with the academy or get a car out of KCMA. Hell, they could even have ordered a car or two and canceled if they got in. I know, I know, this is all Monday morning quarterbacking.....