Originally Posted by
N-Jacko
Which is, even by the standard of PPRUNE, potentially misleading.
N-Jacko, thanks you are correct, of course it's not MSA. I'll have to blame the late night hours for that one.
Really what I was referring to is the concept of "safety altitude" as calculated by VFR flyers for x-country navigation. I have amended my post in view of your valuable correction.
BTW I am not making assumptions about the contributing factors in this particular accident, which have yet to be determined.
Typically safety altitude might be deemed as 1000 feet over the highest en-route elevation (or 2000 feet over hilly terrain).
My point is that when I have queried more than one student or pilot over the years about what that idea means, the response has been in effect "don't go any lower than safety altitude if in bad visibility". More or less taking it as akin to the IFR concepts of MSA or MORA. That way of thinking is sure to lead to hazard.
What I emphasise to students is that safety altitude is the minimum height above terrain that offers some sort of useful margin of choice for visual manouvering should wx deteriorate. If cloud or reducing vis. force you down to your calculated safety altitude, then for the sensible pilot there is no choice but to change course, you simply can't proceed.
Occasionally I've kept mum and let a student keep going a bit further to see what happens. It's not a pretty sight as the wheel gets gripped tighter and the pilot leans forward in the seat straining to see what's coming, while the altimeter inches downwards. Accidental flight into IMC becomes a real possibility. One chap was thrilled to see blue skies in a distant gap and flew right into a wide deep valley ahead. Moments later we were boxed in visually. It took my changing to IFR and flying out on top to get us home - flying by himself a difficult precautionary landing would have been necessary. The guy was sweating bullets, and vowed "never again!" a dozen times.
Anyway in summary a proper understanding of safety altitude, plus a resolute automatic decision to alter course towards clearer skies if you can't maintain VFR above it, are essential parts of a safe VFR mindset.
addendum: folks, kindly note I am writing from a FW perspective. I appreciate this is a rotary forum.