NO I don't think I am being up myself.
Many moons ago while crossing a gap (in a thankfully empty Twotter) at low level, in light rain, the gap closed out and as I turned away from it the drizzle turned instantly to cloud - I had heard that was possible but never really believed it. I found myself, within seconds, in IMC at a few 100' agl with higher terrain close and all around me - I pushed everything forward and pulled the nose up high to zoom climb turning towards where I knew lower terrain was, and roared up a ridge line (probably 30 degrees nose up) still in IMC with trees literally flicking past the wheels. I was pondering how I would stall into the trees, and wondering whether I would survive it, when the top of the ridge came into view (still IMC) and a pushed over the top and found myself in VMC again - and then I started shaking.
That is why I don't judge this crews actions or hypothesize about why they may have found themselves in IMC and why they hit the ground - because I have been there and know how quickly you can go from PNG 'normal ops' to dead.
What is also getting up my nose is gullibels assumptions that they had carried out some form of approach to Kokoda maybe using technology not designed for that - missed due not getting visual and then CFIT'd during subsequent 'procedural' manouvering. No one who has the experience he claims to have would even use the language he uses - they'd know that there are no procedures around a grass airstrip in a mountain valley.
The crash site is < 1nm from Isurava - they couldn't get there unless via the Kokoda Gap - its impossible to crash where they did if they have already been over Kokoda at low level. They are reported as saying, via HF, that they were descending toward Kokoda and then that they are climbing again due weather - and then they died. They were tracking via the Gap. Pilots who have flown over the crash site say the aircraft was definately 'nose high' when they impacted - as in a zoom/full power climb.
I have been there but was luckier than they were - not better, just luckier.
Last edited by Chimbu chuckles; 14th Aug 2009 at 11:59.