Originally Posted by
megan
crab 
And if a controller was to do something silly like give a radar vector into the side of a mountain or massive CB it's still the PIC fault for not having awareness of where he's at, nor is a PIC obliged to follow ATC directions if s/he considers it places them in jeopardy.
Except that for an aircraft under radar vectors the controller is responsible for ensuring terrain and obstacle clearance. Mistakes may happen and you might be forgotten about so it's still good to be alert after being given a vector, but if a controller uses the standard phraseology "radar vectors", this indicates they take over responsibility for your terrain/obstacle clearance.
It won't be much consolation for you if you fly yourself into a hillside, but it'll make a world of difference for the controller afterwards. In this case, N72EX was not under radar vectors, so the controller is not responsible.