Fantome. I knew there would be one, and it's you. To answer your first question; Noone can possibly ever reconstruct the pilot's thoughts, not even the coroner, but that won't stop the discussion. We can assess the evidence and make a considered opinion, just that. The evidence that I have read is that the acft circled for 30 minutes, and then climbed into cloud. It is reasonable to deduce that the climb into cloud was a conscious act. The reasons he made this choice are infinite, but the realists among us have fairly good ideas why that choice was made. Funny how so many like to slang off at certain cultures because of "loss of face", but I'd suggest that many from our wonderful AS heritage are just as prone, in a different way. In your other question, I'm afraid you get a fail for grade 4 English comprehension; the whole point of my post was contemplating deliberate VMC to IMC, not inadvertent VMC to IMC. What have you been doing that's wrong? Perhaps nothing, perhaps everything, and you've been lucky. I know I've been in this situation several times, recognised it, acted quickly, and had a safe return. So, you may be making great choices, or enjoying great luck. So sad you seem to take it so personally. And for the last part of that question, I will assume that you do grasp the hazards of unqualified IMC flight, I never suggested that anyone doesn't. I'm sure the pilot was a wonderful person. By definition, because the acft did not make it to destination safely, the pic duties were for some reason not executed satisfactorily. We all make mistakes, most times we are lucky. I think there is a difference between making a mistake, and taking a chance, especially when it risks other innocents. As an analogy; A driver with my kids in the car makes an error such as misjudging the closing speed of traffic, has a headon and wipes out the family-an error, sad, but it happens; another driver, my kids on board, chooses to make a high risk overtake, on a corner or crest, and the risks of corner/crests are well known, and has the headon. In my opinion, quite a different scenario. The second driver knew the risks, but gambled not only his own life, but that of others. Sorry, doesn't cut it with me.
We can be precious, but I've found in many decades of aviation, that you are only fooling yourself if you can't call it as it is. The pilot was a wonderful person, of that there is no doubt. We all talk, in the aeroclub bar, in our houses, at work or whereever, so what's the big deal about pprune? If the dialog has just a slight chance of making someone down the track think twice about deliberate flight into IMC, or other questionable choices, it could be worth the effort. We all make mistakes, most times we're lucky. Funnily enough, I probably know you pretty well, what a small world.
Last edited by growahead; 8th Oct 2012 at 21:46.