Originally Posted by
Dick Smith
The prime cause of the accident was that the pilot was prevented from flying en route at 6500 above all the hills on his way to Taree.
If the NAS airspace had been in place he would not have been forced to descend into a mountain.
Having a current bi annual would not have allowed the pilot to remain at 6500’.
The ATSB were dishonest for not mentioning that the airspace had been reversed from E to C without any valid safety study and also failing to mention that the radar direction had not been complied with by AsA.
If the radar direction had been complied with it would have been most likely the aircraft would have remained at 6500’ above the mountains!
Its not called “ road block” airspace for no reason.
no one is ever forced to fly into a mountain. If you were flying illegally and ill prepared and you were denied a clearance, would you just descend into a mountain at Dorrigo or would you advise ATC you require a clearance and stay at 6500ft? Would you really fly down into the stratus that was obscuring the terrain as the report states or would call pan. Never in the history of ATC has a clearance been denied if the pilot advises they are in trouble. I was denied a clearance in C once over terrain and I advised I had a sick passenger due turbulence and requested climb due to the mountain waves. Slight delay of about 1 minute then clearance was provided. I had a flight plan in the system which expedited the clearance. If you need help you ask. If you don't then OCTA is safe... if you are licenced to fly and you have appropriate maps and nav gear for a cross country over the great dividing range and if you log on to NAIPS and check the forecast for low cloud on your route then a denial of a clearance will not kill you and your passengers.