Airborne Aircrew
Your post #7274 was a refreshingly informative one.
Two good witnesses on the ground that evening descibed the layer of mist that you describe.
Met theory explains it.
It is there for all to see at the right time with a strong southerly blowing.
By all accounts the localised weather was as could be expected, a capping oro cloud (base that day about 800 ft), beneath this a thin layer running up the slope (as I have described previously).
Bad enough view ahead for a pilot to need to check his instruments just to avoid spatial disorientation, let alone get by visual illusion regarding range to go.
Just how certain do you (collectively speaking - pls don't pull me up on that one again!) need the weather to be? 99%? Unfortunately the attending helicopter that arrived less than an hour after the crash only gave the description of conditions on the high ground - pity he was not asked to say what the view was like from out to sea.
Being totally surprised upon entering the mist could explain the enigma of the intermediate power settings, NR 100.5%, yet fully pulled up thrust lever - it had been yanked up reflexively but there was wasn't even time for the rotors to start slowing down never mind engines increase power before impact (the 100.5 % figure came from a witness mark on an instrument as I believe).