What would have been the situation for this?
Pilots check metar at Gatwick / on route but press on anyway and hope fog will clear?
Pilots check metar when getting close to Aberdeen, realise there is fog and circle until the decision is made to divert.
Surely Scottish control would have known about the fog in Aberdeen too so why not just divert straight to Edinburgh rather than circling North of Dundee?
Just trying to understand this a bit better.
Daverb, pilots also use forecasts (TAFs) as well as the Metars but as we know forecasting can be an imprecise science.
Here are the TAFs for the period in question:-
TAF AMD EGPD 181603Z 1816/1912 02005KT 6000 FEW045
TEMPO 1816/1908 4000 BR
PROB40 1816/1908 1500 BKN002
BECMG 1908/1912 9999=
TAF EGPD 181057Z 1812/1912 02005KT 6000 FEW045
BECMG 1812/1815 7000
PROB30 TEMPO 1812/1818 9999
TEMPO 1818/1908 4000 BR
PROB30 1820/1908 1500 BKN002
BECMG 1908/1912 9999=
TAF EGPD 181702Z 1818/1918 VRB05KT 6000 FEW002 BKN040
TEMPO 1818/1908 4000 BR
PROB30 1818/1903 0900 FG BKN002
BECMG 1908/1912 9999
TEMPO 1913/1918 7000 RA BKN014=
TAF AMD EGPD 181807Z 1818/1918 VRB05KT 1500 BR FEW002 BKN040
TEMPO 1818/1906 0500 FG VV///
TEMPO 1906/1910 6000
BECMG 1910/1912 9999 NSW
TEMPO 1913/1918 7000 RA BKN014=
TAF AMD EGPD 181859Z 1818/1918 VRB05KT 0200 FG VV///
TEMPO 1906/1910 6000 NSW SCT002
BECMG 1910/1912 9999 NSW SCT020
TEMPO 1913/1918 7000 RA BKN014=
Pilots use their expertise and evaluate all the weather information to build up the big picture. If the TAF is forecasting above minima it is perfectly reasonable to hold for a while - after all the idea is to get passengers to their chosen destination.
Interesting to note the TAFs were amended a few times also.