Heli down in Cumbria.

[Pontious]

I apologise if anybody drew any inference from my opening statement that suggested I stated weather was the single cause of this tragedy.


I simply shared information that I knew to be factual as I had planned a trip up there myself for about the same time as the flight and decided against it even though my trip was to be by road not air. The weather around that area is notoriously unpredictable and actual conditions are frequently worse than forecast, especially in terms of cloud base,visibility and levels of precipitation.Earlier in my career I've turned back on more than one occasion or diverted to route along the Cumbrian coast where the cloud base and vis' can be much improved and more suited to VFR.


The information I posted was just that- Factual Information NOT PROBABLE CAUSE. Factual information based on local knowledge and local experience. I am very familiar with the area as I travel there often, and only too well aware of the 'freakish' nature of weather in The Lakes' and anyone who easily discounts factors such as weather conditions and terrain at and around an accident site is mistaken. Why is so much of a Pilot's training,albeit Private, Commercial or Airline Transport, Rotary or Fixed Wing comprised of Meteorlogy Studies and Altimetry?


Posters will note that I never wrote anything about the technical record of the aircraft concerned because I'm neither Rotary qualified nor familiar with the type but I am very familiar with the local terrain and local weather and quite frankly I resent having to justify my comments on here when they concerned the stating of fact NOT supposition and with no intention of inference in the apportioning of blame or cause.