The pilot did a good job. Nothing happened apart from a steep bank, where in the regs does it say you can't make a steep turn! Obviously he should have flown into IMC, but he responded the right way.
I wonder if HillerBee inadvertantly left out the crucial word 'NOT' in his sentence above. Kinda changes the meaning.
Epiphany,
I just want to reiterate my view, lest you should misunderstand where I'm coming from.
1. OP has every right to address his concerns, yet there is a right way and a wrong way. Simply stamping feet will not result in the UNIVERSAL sympathy and support he seeks. Especially not from those feet he's stamped on. Let's not hide behind the name 'Rumour Network' as an excuse to step outside normal social / proffessional boundries. Any big oil patch operator would have, as well as the administrator (FAA?), a method for reporting occurrences. I'm sure OP's own company and industry have their ways of dealing with problems, and if the worm was on the other foot(!) and the finger pointed at him, he'd hope the proper procedure be followed through.
2. The pilot / company / operator should maybe be reflecting on their practices, based on the fact that one of their passengers got scared. That might be to review minima, go / no-go criterea, aircraft choice...etc..etc.. I won't go there, since there are much more learned people to comment on that side of things.
3. OP's account may not be accurate, and therefore is simply information, rather than fact. Subsequent responses here should reflect that. It may have happened. It may not have happened. That's all.
4. Maybe the oil company is not the best place to file the complaint either (for the reasons you mention). Voicing concern in a place like this, COULD be a very fruitful platform to get people thinking about the subject (although its been done before with little effect). It would need a slightly different approach though. OPs post came across as an unsubstantiated gripe / whinge / moan to me. That, I can't take seriously.
In short, I agree with you. Most would I think. It's just the manner in which he raised it, which is possibly counter productive to his cause.
Still, its food for thought for everyone, eh?!
(FWIW, I agree wholeheartedly with the multi crew, multi engine concept for IFR ops.)