There's a lot of nonsense being talked about the crane. It's orientation and whether it was lit or not is frankly irrelevant.
Flap 5
Whether a high object and a long and spindly one at that needs lighting is very relevant.
Yes in an ideal world pilots will only fly in the conditions stipulated by the rules they are flying too.
It is an imperfect world! I wish motorists would not crash in cars but they do hence manufacturers go to extremes to protect the occupants in the event of a crash.
This Helicopter was brought down by a Crane end of story!!!! For whatever reason the pilot did not see that Crane but may have done had it had high intensity lighting fitted.
The Wrekin light was reinstated partly because of of a tragic crash of a Mooney which hit a rock face within 20 feet of its summit.
These lights are visible in cloud where visibility can range fromn 50 meters to 200 meters enough to alert a pilot to pull clear.
Look at the London Skyline and as posted earlier the Cranes tower well above the Skyscraper building like Octopus Tentacles waiting to catch their prey.
I was horrified in clear weather seeing these contraptions and the amount of them exposed in the clear skies and towering way above the high buildings.
If anything needs to be learnt from this tragedy it is to legally make these temporary structures carry suitable lighting at all times night and day as the cowboy way they are controlled is not acceptable.