Folks.....time to be honest with ourselves here.
The Reported Weather is such you know there is adverse weather at your destination but is forecasted to clear by mid-morning.
The Client tells you not to bother as the weather is bad.
You tell decide to Take Off and go see for yourself.
You declare you will land in a field if necessary.
You get to your Destination and yes....you cannot get in....after a second message from your Client who says it is a No-Go.
You turn around and head home....change your mind for some reason and try to divert.
You are texting on a goddamned Smart phone while flying Single Pilot in marginal weather in a very complicated area to navigate a safe course.
Does anyone NOT see a problem here?
Barnes may have been a very nice fellow, and a very good pilot....but as we all know....sometimes we just get it wrong.
The sad part....is this did not just happen that one time and I will bet you it is not just Barnes that has done it...is doing it....and will do it again.
Are we subjected to such external pressures and self inflicted pressures that we cannot just say...."NO!" and head for the Tea Pot?
The Client was saying "NO!" for crying out loud.....there is your Sign folks.
We lost a good guy for no good reason.
Can we all learn a lesson from this?
Let's be honest and ask who was applying the pressure....there had to be some or else Barnes would not have taken off based upon the weather reports.
He would not have taken off upon the Client telling him not to...but he did anyway.
Why do you takeoff and "go see"....if the reported weather is below minimums...the weather is below minimums.
When the Client told you a second time the weather was rat ****....why not turn around at that point...why continue on.
The CAA and AAIB need to get squarely in the middle of this and study why this accident occurred.....and I don't mean the running into the Crane. That was the result of the cause of the accident.
There seems to be an issue with the marking of Cranes that needs to be addressed....and a study of how those markings are inspected and monitored....but the real issue is why an experienced, professional, capable Pilot like Barnes....did what he did.
How did he fall into this trap?