Looks like there is a rock to be rolled over here. Our man in Norfolk did something many condemn as foolish even illegal but certainly his departure was in IMC by any definition of those conditions but what, in essence, was different from the guy in the EHEST booklet?
Both took off at night, both were unable to ensure that the take off could be completed using external references until a safe Vmini could be achieved.
We condemn one and choose to 'tolerate' the other. Do we have our house in order? When disaster strikes the lawyers have a field day. Shouldn't things be a little less 'wooly' for all our sakes. If the overall verdict on the Norfolk crash is one that comes out against departures without visual reference we could see pilot's representatives or those who represent offshore workers offering advice to avoid take offs offshore at night where there is insufficient visual reference in case they have an accident or incident.
G.
