"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message
ink.net...


This is not a non-radar environment. Radar services are provided by
Clarksburg Approach, they're just 24 miles southwest of MGW. Examine the
ILS RWY 18 approach, note that DIXIN can be determined by radar or the
marker beacon. That tells us radar coverage is good in this area.


It is indeed a non-radar environment when the pilot is talking to MGW tower.
Clarksburg can indeed identify DIXIN by special request of the pilot, but
the much more routine procedure is for Clarksburg to hand the pilot off to
Morgantown Tower outside of DIXIN and then Morgantown Tower asks the pilot
to report DIXIN inbound, at which time a landing clearance is issued.
Morgantown Tower has no radar capability.


MGW is a VFR tower, they don't "own" any airspace. Airway MEAs that cross
MGW VORTAC run 4000 to 5000 MSL, so any enroute IFR traffic would likely
be
well above the 3700 MSL top of the MGW Class D airspace.

The MEA is 3000 feet; planes could well be enroute at that altitude due to
icing or planning to land at other local airports or for other reasons.


The tower controller probably isn't applying any separation at all, he's
probably just relaying the clearance he received from Clarksburg approach.
I'm not saying ATC didn't make an error here, I'm just saying he didn't
necessarily make the error you think he did. There may have been a

You are correct that the error could well have been by MGW tower or by
Clarksburg. Whatever the cause, it is clear that a left turn after takeoff
should never be considered an option departing MGW Runway 18 in IMC. So
this is an excellent example of CFIT avoidance and the importance of pilots
not delegating terrain avoidance solely to ATC on departure.


--
Richard Kaplan, CFII

www.flyimc.com