Had they been wearing NVG, even in that weather, they would have seen it
Not sure how you can be so certain in your judgement
crab with the islands reputation for being shrouded in mist, all I would say is NVG
may have helped. Mist means the vis is greater than 1 km, the presence of drizzle in a weather forecast usually indicates significantly reduced visibility, how much reduced in this case we have no idea. I know from vast experience that weather reports when trying to operate in VMC are a crutch you shouldn't rely upon
implicitly, nor when legally in the clouds for that matter. Bow to your experience in using the things
crab, been reading on the NVG limitations,
Pilots wearing NVGs may be able to see through some areas of low density particles such as thin fog, light rain, low density smoke, dust and pollution (Joint Aviation Authorities 2003). Flying in these conditions may reduce the usable energy available to the NVG and decrease the quality of the image (RTCA 2001b). These conditions will affect the contrast of the image. The risk that low density particles pose to an operation can be reduced by training pilots to recognise changes in the NVG image, ensuring thorough weather briefings before flight with an emphasis on NVG effects, ensuring pilots are aware of weather patterns in the flying area, and ensuring pilots occasionally scan the outside scene unaided (RTCA 2001b).
http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/36432/N...on_goggles.pdf
Over and out, waiting for the report.