Guys this is very sad, and although I did not know Max I know many people who did, and it seems understandable that he is so well liked. I have not even flown rotary for some time. However in a forum open to the press and public we do owe UK helicopter operations some honesty, especially in the safety records. Helicopters are generally very safe and reliable. We can't start saying "it doesn't look like pilot error" on the strength of this report.
...he did not hold a UK Instrument Rating...visibility 2,700 metres in light rain with a few clouds at 1,200 feet; scattered cloud at 1,700 feet and broken cloud at 2,500 feet. ... The visual controller and the approach radar controller were both in the visual control room.
At night. Over an unlit area.
The area of the crash has almost no lighting, very few buildings. Talking to people who were there at the time that is a generous interpretation of the weather, with cloud reported around 600 feet in the area, and mist. Under SVFR, 1 mile from a runway with ALS, instrumentation failures should not be critical.
I'm
not saying it was pilot error. I
am saying there is nothing in this report that "...suggests something other than pilot error". We don't want to be doing exactly what we criticise the press for, jumping the gun on the cause. I'm with YBOTT on this. Wait for the full report.