Originally Posted by
Astra driver
"I believe VMC prevailed at the time", Precisely and the aircraft hit each other anyway.
We all know that the first statement in any lost comm procedure is to maintain VFR if practical and land. Unfortunately the key statement here is; "If Practical". Considering that in the flight levels we are experiencing closure rates of over 900 knots, not to mention a blind spot that covers approximately 90% of our surrounding enviroment, is using a "see and avoid" procedure ever really "Practical"?
Further more, consider this, virtually every Mid Air Collision has occured in VMC. (I'm sure there are some exceptions). In fact, the event that caused the creation of the US domestic air traffic control program was a mid air collision in visual conditions between two transcontinental airliners over the Grand Canyon.
I personally think that using VMC in today en-route high altitude environment is a nonsense. The " see and avoid " comes from the " seen and be seen " procedure dating back from 1910 and was never meant to be applicable to 2 aircraft flying at 0.8Mach opposite to each other.
Visual climbs and descent are being abolished in more and more countries in Europe above FL195 and rightly so.
Your statement that almost every mid air collison occurred in VMC is probably correct. I never realised it and it even proves my point even more.