Suitcaseman
Always give the crew the benefit of the doubt unless you know otherwise for a fact. None of us were there so we don't know the facts.
Why? Benifit of the doubt is good and all in a criminal proceeding or a civil case, this is neither. This is a forum of pilots, some of whom will be flying into Plett later this year with marginal weather conditions. Stressing the "give it up and try again later" point can not be stressed enough.
I never said George/Plett was unique in it's danger, but that does not stop it being dangerous. Non precision approaches to uncontrolled airfields is dangerous. Doing it in marginal weather is even more so. Doing it in a part of the world where there are big mountains on the one side and the Indian ocean on the other, with very little in the way of flat, easy to land on ground between them is even more dangerous.
While no one can say for certain if the aircraft was visual with the airfield at MDA, the fact the radar track clearly shows it flying low level around the point at about 500' fairly well shows the Cloud Break was not being flown. If they were visual at MDA and then lost the field, they should have gone around. Not stooged around the coast.
V1....oops. Yes there are many different things that could have happened. However the fact was the aircraft was flying low level over water.
Shrike, yes it is obvious isn't it. How come so many bloody pilots disregard it? Too many CFIT's happen in that part of SA for it to be "obvious". Stating the obvious isn't a bad thing if people are ignoring the obvious.
As for other gems like don't run out of gas? Well that is a good one. Divert if you are getting low. Don't push it. Again we've all seen people die because they pushed how far the fuel "should" get them. Marginal weather and diverting or even just doing a go around to try again should be encouraged.
The Ancient Geek said it much more eloquently than I did, and I will QFT his post.
who know the area and the typical conditions to remind the younger and less experienced pilots that the only safe option is to divert. Stooging around looking for holes just burns up the fuel that could have taken you to a safe landing elsewhere. None of us is perfect but it falls upon those of us who have pushed our luck in the past, scared ourselves sh*tless but survived, to warn others against the fatal temptations.
As I said before, there but for the grace........
That was the point I was trying to make.