Thanks for agreeing with me
But we are going to disagree on a few points.
First of all, there was VFR all around the place, I mostly fly IFR, but that day, and at that exact time, while morn was in the hold at MLY I was about 20 miles east travelling back from up near Gladstone with a few friends, most with way more experience than me, and one with plenty of PNG time.
As we approached those ranges about an hour earlier within 10 miles of the crash site we had a choice to make, go west and through the gap at Woodford/kilcoy, or go east to Gympie, have a pie/sausage roll, coke/coffee, get some fuel, even though not needed, and rethink our attack.
The Airline Captain/PNG guy out front who was closer to the action made the right call, we all went to Gympie. I think we could have gone west and around the long way, we could have gone anywhere west.....I could see the hills around Nanango, it was that good.
The west and north-west is where Des came from. The weather was fine for VFR flight.
The cruddy stuff was on the coast, but, it claggs in on the ranges and VMC conditions existed all the way southbound down the VFR lane. Sure we left Gympie at about 1500AGL and at times were down to 500AGL, mainly due to those whispy drizzly bits, but from the VFR lane we could see YBSU, YCDR and apart from some yukky stuff right near YCAB, the viz was OK and as forecast.
Out to our right wing = UGLY REALLY UGLY, the whole ranges were socked in, from one end to the other.
If I went IFR that day it woud have been a classic hot steamy bumpy ride over those hills. not pleasant but flyable in the right machine etc. I dread the thought of doing it in a DH Dragon.
Des was
not a risky cowboy. Having some knowledge of what transpired, I can only assume he got sucked in to seeing a gap and then running up the range, getting trapped and caught out.
It may seem harsh to say, about a mate, but I think he got sucked in, and stuffed up.
Plenty of others have and will, none of us expected someone like him to be in that situation. It makes some of us wonder .....if he can, what about me!
be vigilant folks.....
It is easy to fool people, and the easiest to fool is ourself!