The last 2 posts, in reference to weather, seem to make good sense on this particular day.
I wouldn't have gone aloft even with IR (R) on such a day.
I'd still be interested to know if he was actually trying to get into Popham, whose plate shows that first-time in, approach is quite tricky in CAVOK, let alone what existed on the day, or did he just happen to be there?
Was Popham trying to guide him in? Presumably they could, at least see him as they (to their credit) got the emergency services to the scene as quickly as they have said.