At 00.45 hrs, the Co-pilot announced ‘okay so small targets at six miles at 11 o'clock … large out to the right there’. This was followed approximately 20 seconds later by an Auto Callout ‘Altitude, Altitude’, which the Commander said was ‘just a small little island that's B L M O itself’.
that was the point when action should have been taken - they didn't see the little island until they overflew it which should have raised their hackles and got them to turn or climb and reassess the letdown profile.
They had nearly 10 miles to run before they were even abeam Blacksod so they didn't need to be at 200'.
I know it is easy to be wise with 20/20 hindsight but that was not a great let down route into the refuel site.