Originally Posted by
SASless
VFR....VMC......what was the situation that night for the route R-116 was trying to fly when it impacted Blackrock?
Was the aircraft VMC or IMC?
Was the operation (Offshore of Blackrock to Blacksod) being done VMC or IMC?
They must have believed they were VMC.
There are a couple of townlands, Glosh and Nakil, along a road running north south about 2.5 miles west of Blacksod up on a rise of land up to 150 feet ASL. About 50 or 60 houses. It may be that these were visible in the turn back eastbound, confirming that they were VMC, at least at that point. That high land would have obscured Blacksod light.
The report says they were on the warm side of a cold front running northeast to southwest and located at the time off the northern tip of Ireland.