Originally Posted by
Dream Land
Anytime a pilot drops through a hole and descends to 1500 foot above the ground, should know exactly what he's doing, doesn't matter whether it's a Cessna 206 or a DC-10.
That would appear to be the crux of the problem in that they thought they did, thanks to a combination of the INS programming not matching their briefing, and weather conditions that were little-understood at the time making where they were headed look to all intents and purposes identical to where they thought they were headed.
And seeing lights on your transponder blinking shouldn't lead anyone to assume they are within radar control, especially an experienced aviator. Tragic.
It was the blinking transponder in combination with the invitation to descend which gave them that impression. Again, if Mac Central didn't make a c*ck-up, why erase the tapes?