We sit here all comfy, coffee cup in hand for me, and consider what could have happened to cause the tragic end to this flight and the loss of nine people.
Without going too far out on a limb, and acknowledging I am not privy to all of the factors involved....one question keeps coming back to fore.
Putting myself in that pilot's seat....and assuming I had found myself between two layers...one being low lying fog and the other a layer above e me....and realizing they were merging ahead of me....I would have been confronted with doing something really quick.
My gut instinct based upon years of experience including flying S-76's and being familiar with that particular area.....considering the reported weather for the time in question.....I would have gone wings level, pitched up ten degrees, applied Climb Power, and gone for sunshine and VFR on Top.
It seems that would have been the quickest and safest path to clear air.
We do not know what the Pilot could see from the cockpit that might have influenced his decision to do what he did.
Over time there will be lots of discussion about how he found himself in the situation he did....and that is a valid discussion.
We can also debate why he reacted as he did and that is valid also.
But....we must accept we do not know the actual circumstances of the final few moments of the flight and probably never will.
The real lesson that will be re-learned from this tragedy is avoidance is the absolute best practice.
To out this tragedy in perspective.....look back to the RAF Chinook crash at the Mull of Kintyre.
Some similarities arise between the two crashes.