I first flew with this pilot about 25 years ago, after he changed the colour of his uniform. I later flew on operations in NI with him after he became qualified on type. I have also shared a day or two with him since, at Battersea and elsewhere, "lamp-swinging".
On the face of it, for now it's baffling to some why the accident happened. I'm shocked and very saddened by it. But I stick with my earlier comment, about what the AAIB will be looking at, and which was not aimed as a personal criticism.