Originally Posted by
alphanumeric
They crashed into the ground as they did not realise the terrain was higher than sea level.
All this talk of databases, waypoints, EGPWS, safety culture, procedures etc does not detract from the fact that there was no proper two-crew approach brief* that discussed the elevation of Blackrock and how the approach was going to be conducted. This is standard offshore 2-crew procedure.
*Just like there was no proper 2-crew departure brief in the G-LBAL accident.
All terrain is higher than sea level.
The accident report distinctly says there was an approach briefing. It can be inferred that the crew was unaware of Blackrock as a piece of terrain at 300 feet. It does seem that Capt. Fitzpatrick was aware of rocks there as she knows why the altitude warning sounds, but she thinks they are over the waypoint. So she knows the waypoint is over "terrain", but obviously doesn't know its height. In fact, even though they are only at 200 feet, she is not concerned by the alerter.
What does APBSS mean at the top of that chart we are considering some kind of buck shee or homemade approach "plate"? On looking at it, it seems that it is more likely a VFR day or night or reduced viz transit route from heliport to heliport as Blackrock and Blacksod are terminus points. There is no real indication that some approach procedure for Blacksod keys on Blackrock or the waypoint.
Inbound to Blackrock from the east, it is clear that the intention is to land at Blackrock heliport. It is a straight in approach with a presumption of VFR conditions or at worst reduced viz. There is no scenario of approaching it from the ocean to the west. That may provide an explanation at least why this seems to be a very inadequate IMC procedure. It wasn't meant to be.
Leaving Blackrock also assumes you are lifting off from the heliport for Blacksod, which does have a bit of an indirect routing. There is no scenario in which you
pass over Blackrock.
For whatever that is worth, the question then is whether this "approach" is programmed into the FMS, or whether each waypoint is sequentially selected manually by a Direct To button and the waypoint. The error in that would be assuming it is an IFR approach.