I posted a note a couple days ago about this accident to the (roughly!) equivalent forum in the uS - Vertical Reference - but as I've just learned the CFI was from Across the Pond, I'll post here too.
I did most of my private and all of my commercial rating flying hours in the accident aircraft (N2011A) between June 2001 and Feb 2005. Thus, this accident has hit pretty close to home.
Right now I'm assuming that this nighttime flight was pursuant to the student's private ticket - i.e. the "nighttime cross country" requirement. I had to do the equivalent trip twice, in the same general direction (N/NE of the home airport (KRHV), due to insanely high winds at the destination airport (Byron, California) and the inability to touch down the first time. I am speculating that they made the same trip but were foiled by lowering clouds and limited viz, and ultimately struck the HV wires over the highway that they were following.
That is all pure conjecture, but at any rate I can see me (and my CFI) being in the same situation in only slightly different flight conditions than what we conducted our nighttime flight in.
So - to repeat myself w.r.t. to my post at VR - my condolences to the families involved. The CFI had been married barely a year
.
The only comfort that might be found is that (I would surmise that) both men on board were doing what they loved to do.
be safe,
Dave B.
San Jose, CA