Pace --
The only thing we know for sure is that the lack of lighting did not work as the poor pilot hit a Crane extension which he did not see!
Forget distant lighting see a high intensity light at close quarters and you will Damn well know its not floating in the air but attached to something hard!
I am sure that we both share the wish to avoid such a thing happening again, as well as making sure that we don't end up in a similar situation ourselves. We share the same interests. The longer I fly and sail (and drive, come to that) the more I feel that lights should be reduced - not increased. I don't mean 'no lights', I mean fewer lights and lights where lights should be.
Disagreement and debate are healthy and it's good to listen to conflicting opinions.
I doubt whether lighting of any kind on a jib in fog or low cloud would have prevented this tragedy. The aircraft was moving. The crane was fixed and NOTAM'd. The aircraft was in the wrong place, not the crane. If the crane was in fog no lighting would have helped.