Originally Posted by
HeliComparator
My point is that yes there are differences, but fairly minor ones as you describe. It is therefore not impossible that they disregarded the return as being weather (despite the actual weather being as you say) - or at least it is as valid an explanation as the radar being U/S. If the radar had actually been U/S, would they have continued with the approach?
Can't imagine a scenario where you would decend IMC to get visual underneath knowing the radar is U/S? Other than a greater emergency and lack of other options...