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<<I wonder why a pilot still less two pilots should be at low level, flying straight at said chunk of rock in typical Kintyre IMC?
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Not to mention the third pair of eyes, the forward loadmaster, the extra navigator who would surely have been expected to have been in this position as they were approaching high ground in marginal conditions:
BUT accident investigators concluded that he was not positioned there – he was either seated on or positioned at the “jump seat” (immediately behind and between the two pilots).
Why was he not seated at his usual vantage point?
Perhaps in the first of the HC2s the RDU was not mounted on the left hand pilot's console (as was later the case) and readings from the CPLS (mounted on a pallette on the floor behind the left hand pilot's seat) had to be relayed to the pilots by a loadmaster.
What else could possible have been more important to the loadmaster than eyeballing their approach to the land? - his better view of the crossing of the shoreline could well have saved them. My main criticism of the captain is that if such an exercise was thrust upon him, he should have had the second loadmaster up front in that “window” position as they approached the land.
And if there was no such exercise, why was he not in that position well before the position of waypoint change (already so close in) when presumably there could not have been any control issues or other significant distractions?
Not that any honest answers are expected – remember the simple enough question as to how much distance was required to slow a Chinook down? - well, we didn't need an answer from this forum anyway as the agility of these beasts is regularly demonstrated at airshows (over a tight area) but I was surprised that no one disclosed just how short a distance was required to execute a “quick stop” - they can stop on a sixpence really, so so long as they think they know what lies ahead and exactly how far they have to go then they can be coasting in at a rate of knots, can't they?
I suppose the new bleatings on software will keep you all in your comfort zone again but there is no evidence of malfunction – the evidence points to a measured approach with a sudden realisation of proximity to the ground – regarding the extreme pedal position, perhaps Chinook pilots would be so kind as to explain what they would do to the “rudder” pedals when initiating a quick stop? You know, like when you are surprised at how too close you have got to a mist covered slope.