Anorak:
Quote:
.....unless he thought he was actually flying clear of it, possibly further to the west. I still believe he may have seen a bridge over the Thames through a gap in the low cloud and mistaken it for another. It's an easy mistake to make.
I think Shy has hit the nail on the head and, knowing the area well and having had the privilege of knowing Pete, I believe that this was the real cause of this tragic accident.
As much as we all loved him. He had cause to "drop the ball" for a second or two and it was all over. More weight to the statistic that 72% of all UK (global?) accidents are pilot induced.
Crab: I think one of the biggest differences between Corporate pressure and SAR pressure is that the former drags on continuously - way before and beyond the actual trip. The latter arrives in a lorry load - minutes before the trip and ends, seconds after you coast in and are visual with the airfield.
It is the constant drip drip drip of pressure that causes even the best (like this crash) to drop their guard for a few seconds.
For corporate drivers, the pressure starts as soon as the alarm clock goes off.