Vince's alleged meander reminds me of some rt chatter that I heard some years ago whilst approaching Edinburgh. Similar circumstances, low hour pilot making an epic X country in unfamiliar territory. I think e had been given a zone transit on a SVFR clearance but seemed to be having some difficulty in identifying VRPs around Edinburgh and was bumbling further into the controlled airspace without much apparent idea as to where he was actually going. I think the controllers had rightly decided that it was safer to shepherd him through than risk him trying to sneak around the edges.
Anyway, During one exchange I heard this wayward individual give his position "height at 2000ft over head ..... em.... I think it's ...well, I can see the river." On being asked to route via the Airfield and report overhead he was also given traffic information, a Gill Air SD360 from memory, two seconds later came the reply " I'm visual with traffic" and from the SD360 - that's amazing, we're still in cloud! Which they had been from their descent inbound from LBA.
He was still bumbling around when we arrived and I wonder if he ever made his destinantion. It was marginal VFR weather with lots of broken clouds but very poor horizontal visibility. Flying VFR in unfamiliar airspace must have been like trying piece together a jigsaw of the chart. Talk about making it difficult.
Poor Vince, looks like everyone is out to prove that his accident was avoidable - they usually are. Hopefully, the lessons have been learned by all. Don't drive past a filling station when you've got 100 miles to go and only enough fuel for 70 - you'll not make it!
I am sorry too, if the above e-mail has any foundation in fact as this is a very public forum and I think we all know that landing in the tree was only the culmination of a very bad day for Mr. H. We all make mistakes and next time I do I will remember to take responsibility early in the process. Humility is a great thing -more so for a hero, even when he is inVincible.