Banggearo,
There is another point raised by JP's theory which seems to make his accusations even more serious.
If they were deliberately climbing in IMC to avoid ground, presumably the only option then would be to continue to MSA. It has already been clearly established that this was totally unacceptable in this aircraft due to icing limitations.
So, if he is right, they would have to have deliberately chosen to continue the flight illegally and unsafely until they could achieve ATC or navaid help to descend again or find a suitable break in the clouds.
All this when they had the safe option to continue VMC over water towards their next waypoint.
Now I know several miltary pilots who confess to having climbed into icing conditions in unsuitable aircraft, one who later wrote about it in Flight Safety Bulletin was lucky to survive it, so it is not impossible that they did so.
But how anyone can determine, on the few facts, that they did so "with absolutely no doubt whatsoever" is totally beyond me.
I just hope that, before year 10 is up, this matter will be resolved to the satisfaction of all the families, whose dignity and resolve throughout has earned them the utmost respect.