Arthur Rowe, Cazatou
LIGHTHOUSE COORDS WERE LANDING PAD?
.
Further to my recent description of the common turning point for helos, I think you will find that the co-ords given as “misplotted” for the lighthouse are actually the co-ords for the helo landing pad near the lighthouse (the one the Sea King used when attending the scene of the crash).
.
So we have it that ZD576 had co-ords entered for waypoint A which happened to be the landing pad which in turn seems (according to the lighthouse keeper and what I personally observed once) to have been the common turning point for helos coming over from NI on that leg and turning up the coast.
.
So why was it never said in the inquiries or pointed out on this forum by experienced aircrew that they had entered waypoint A as the heli pad?
Why has it been left unchallenged that the crew was slack about entering the correct co-ords for the lighthouse?
.
cazatou
<< The course of the aircraft did not, however, change and they continued towards the misplotted Waypoint. >>
Oh no they did not – after changing waypoints on the SuperTANS, they turned RIGHT (refer to the Boeing doc “Analysis of Available Data”) which put their subsequent track to the right of the actual geographical position of waypoint A.
Having said what I have, your general view and that of John Purdey would be quite valid (detail excepted) if they did not have a reason to continue closer in – which is the thrust of what I have been saying for some time. It is that reason which I have been trying to establish and with a bit of constructive help may get there yet.
.
.
Brian
<< Quote:
Given that the Lighthouse Keeper and his Deputy were Qualified Met Observers we can be reasonably sure that the weather model for the Mull used by the BOI was as correct as could be. They were also the people closest to the actual impact.
... who were all standing in the fog/cloud, so therefore unable to say how far, if at all, it extended from the Mull landmass.
.
Interestingly, every time that the MoD produce a visual representation to describe their theory of the Mull cloud cover, it is shown extending right out from the Mull. Clearly a poor attempt to influence people. >>
I could not agree with you more:
Firstly: I am personally very familiar with such local weather conditions and believe confidently from the information available that at the time of their approach they were in the clear over the sea with the mist starting just after the shoreline, following the slope up and merging with the cloudbase at the height of the general cloud base – the lighthouse keeper I was with knew the conditions and we stood together for a while at the point on the slope where the mist started to get so thick that you could not see the sea a bit further up but a bit further down you could see it clearly right across for miles – below this point you could look back up at the mist. It is extraordinary to me that if this lighthouse keeper was asked properly to describe the conditions that he would not have made it clear that these conditions were very common – I suppose how you ask questions and how you selectively use replies comes down to what answers you want.
.
Secondly regarding the visual representation showing cloud extending out from the Mull: I made this very point some time ago – it seems that they have used every opportunity to imply/ spin that the pilots were at fault.