This kind of accident seems a little too easy to fall into as soon as you
find yourself:
- Scud running (pick your definition)
- In non-flat terrain (remember manmade obstructions)
- in terrain that isn't as familiar as the back of your hand (catch-22 here)
- With a commitment at the other end (see get-home-itis)

Float planes sometimes rely on numerous landing areas - makes risky flights
even more attractive.

This pilot's experience could be described as mostly flying a/c and missions
that most weather can't stop. Perhaps a little confusion was experienced
vis-a-vis VFR light a/c work.

I would submit that IFR is the way to avoid scud running and the terrain.
This flight obviously could not be made IFR.

But everytime one does a VFR scud run to a destination that has an approach
or can be accessed by an approach, one is taking more risk than they need
to.

Don't you think?

"Roger Long" wrote in message
.. .
I've often wondered, usually while driving over the hills on the Mass
turnpike and sort of mentally flying myself through them, if the overcast
can fool you into thinking you are looking at the top of the hill when
it's
actually in the clouds. A pilot might even pull up into the clouds for a
little extra clearance and plan to ease down on the other side. I've seen
lots of overcast up close in the hills that I could easily see suckering
you
into a hill top; especially making decisions at twice automotive speed.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:0E0Xc.57436$Fg5.30391@attbi_s53...
This is the kind of accident that scares me the most. As someone
posted earlier, you'd expect a rookie pilot to get sucked into this
kind of accident, but not someone with the experience this pilot had.
Leaves me wondering if there are weather conditions out there that can
be misleading to experienced pilots

Well said. I've often wondered how pilots get themselves into this sort
of
thing.

Is the problem a gradual lowering of the ceiling as they drone along,
oblivious to the growing danger? Is there a weather phenomenon that
I've
never experienced that can slam the sunroof shut quickly -- faster than
a
pilot can get on the ground? (I've seen fog envelop an airport in
minutes,
going from CAVU to 1/10th mile visibility almost instantly -- but that
fog
was rolling in off a lake, and could have been easily out-run.)

Is it just old-fashioned "get-there-itis," an internal pressure that
they
"must" get there for some reason? Or is it that they've "seen this a
thousand times" and always made it through before, so why should today
be
any different?

I know as my flying hours have built, I've grown more comfortable with a
wider range of weather conditions. Is this "experience"? Or
"familiarity"? Or an insidious, gradual and foolish lowering of my
instinctive defenses?

Accidents like hers make you sit up and take notice.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"