Originally Posted by
SASless
Agreed....but if it as you say about SOP's and inherited practices....why the difference in the way 118 successfully found Blacksod a couple of times that night as compared to how 116 tried but failed?
It is certainly very perplexing.
The crew were experienced and presumably had flown this approach on a number of occasions.
If Blackrock was a waypoint on the let down to Blacksod if they had been visual (which they clearly weren't) they would have been looking for it and/or seen the lighthouse beacon.
If they were IMC they would presumably have been aware that the hazard wasn't in the database from previous trips.
Even when the winchman saw it on the IR after an audible terrain warning there was no real urgency that suggested an imminent threat.
Hard to comprehend if you don't routinely fly for miles at 200' at night
Hard to understand and very sad.