That is a horribly drawn airspace. Ultimately, the poor guy was PIC, but the airspace designers are accessories in this - as is anyone who created a culture where he thought he couldn't get a clearance in that area.
We're a bit spoiled where we live, because it is rare that we see icing, let alone icing that we can't escape in non-FIKI aircraft, and even when we do get rain, that is usually not convective rain and we can fly in hard IMC without risking tearing our aircraft apart.
Yes, that incident - and the United that nearly proceeded it - were problematic and resulted in major changes. In fact, SIDs and STARs exist not just to simplify clearances, but also to help prevent this sort of thing. Same thing with computer aided vectoring.
That is very true.
I think you're missing the point. By flying IFR, you're making a deal to exchange your ability to choose your route and altitude in exchange for guaranteed terrain clearance and services to vector you away from other aircraft. It is your choice to make, but one that makes sense in many situations.
Yeah, it is a pretty poor example to use, and was part of the learning curve to get us where we are today.
The fact that they chart a Bravo shelf below not just the highest point in the sector, but a high point that basically dominates it, is pretty egregious.
Also, you know my cure for the RNAV 17 at SEE. Don't fly to that terrible airport
It wasn't FAA policy. It was apparently a local practice at P90. FAA policy encourages flight following.
Yeah, there was some registration issue with the aircraft and it had been flown on a ferry permit. That is probably part of the reason they didn't fly IFR.
Following the ODP would have taken him into the Bravo, so I can easily see why they didn't follow it - especially back then, when FF requests were regularly denied and Bravo clearances were non existent outside the two transition routes.
They raised the Bravo floor in the sector he was in to help allow a safer transition altitude, but it is still low.
Not really. The tower told him to extend his upwind. He then turned into the path of a mountain that he wouldn't be able to climb above because of the Bravo shelf. Now, there were other mistakes made - particularly involving situational awareness - but the preflight was probably ok.
No, they bend over backward for the air carriers. I was VFR out of HND on a brutally hot day after an Angel Flight. Performance was fine, but the JPI was telling me that a slow climb was probably the best thing for my cylinders, so I had no interest in meeting the IFR climb requirements and just followed the 15 till I was clear and climbed super slowly. The guy on approach was telling all the air carriers that he knew it was hot, so what could he do to help them and not worry about hitting the altitudes - though most of them seemed to not be struggling.
To be fair to them, the culture does seem better now. I just did 2 recent trips to SDL, IFR both ways on both, and I heard plenty of FF requests and Bravo clearances after VFR pilots followed certain, sensible instructions. The controllers were polite, patient with the various visiting students and seemed to care.
Yes, it is easier to keep your charts current and lots of currency options.
VFR into IMC incidents with instrument pilots usually has happened with either lapsed currency/proficiency pilots or unplanned circumstances. Part of the problem there is that people often treat VFR flying with less of an attention to detail. Just fly by landmarks and such, instead of loading up a flight plan with safe altitudes - even if that just means direct - and staying sharply on heading. I recently read an ASRS report about a pilot at MRY who ended up VFR into IMC after relying on a rosy AWOS report when tower was closed and turning into a cloud bank on departure. He maintained situational awareness and did what people should do when faced with a situation where they know there are terrain issues (MRY is at the base of a mountain). Instead of freaking out and trying to turn, he just maintained heading, which was over beaches, ocean and flat land, put on his AP and climbed at 500 fpm until he broke out. That kind of situational awareness is needed in any sort of flying, but of paramount importance when flying VFR.
