A point on this that might be worth making. I have had regular problems with my transponder in that area and I wonder if it has anything to do with the number of experimental radar units on Portsdown Hill above Portsmouth. I used to work for a local defence contractor involved with radar countermeasures and became aware of the unusual number of radar heads in the area. Come to think of it, Solent are the only Radar unit who have ever challenged my altitude, as they did with the accident aircraft. I agree, that is not something you want to be messing around with when you have already given yourself a high workload.

Big hats off to the AAIB, getting to the bottom of this. Without their report we have an entirely different view on the incident.

Four safety recommendations have come out of it too.

As a footnote, I do wonder too whether the pilot's IMC rating was a negative factor in this. We hear so many times how an IMC has saved someone. This might just be the exception to the rule for all the wrong reasons.

you really should alert the authorities to this via the usual channels if you believe this is a serious safety issue.