But is wasn't a travesty of justice. They were guilty of gross negligence in so much as they flew the aircraft (which was perfectly servicable) into the ground.
Now as someone with over 5000 rotary wing flying hours in various aircraft types including Wessex, Seaking Lynx Merlin etc etc, I very clearly remember lesson 1. If you can's see the ground then you MUST climb to above your safety altitude.
as the pilots approached the deteriorating weather near the Mull, they had 2 choices. If they intended and were able to maintain flight under Visual Flight Rules, they should have slowed down, turned away or turned back. If they planned to continue their flight under Instrument Flight Rules, they should have climbed to above Safety Altitude well before they approached the Mull. If they were forced to transition to Instrument Flight Rules because they inadvertently entered cloud when close to the Mull, they should have made a rapid climb to at least Safety Altitude at maximum power and best climbing speed, while also turning away from the Mull.