I am not differing too much from what has just been said, as it is true, but at least one of the pilots was so debilitated by the turbulence that he had barfed. That is a tough cockpit environment to brief an approach procedure into an airport that you have never been to.
They did not have GPS, and did not realize that they were still west of the mountains, with a 50+ knot headwind, it is difficult to estimate accurately where you truly are. The controller who had been vectoring them cleared them for the approach, and they descended to the crossing altitude for the first fix. Unfortunately, that was below the top of Mt Storm. The controllers are now forbidden to give 'cleared for the approach' for a plane west of Mt Storm.
It did not bother the controller that the plane disappeared repeatedly from radar, when it flew below the mountain. His excuse for that was a claim that he had never seen Mt Storm, as he drove to work, almost directly toward it.
My personal adventure with Dulles radar vectors was a few years later, also no GPS, and I was keeping aware of position with two VOR receivers, cross checking against a Sectional chart. If my trip had not been10 more hours in the air, I would have altered my destination to Dulles, and had a meeting with the Tower Chief. The desire to land at an unlighted grass field before sundown is strong.
They did not have GPS, and did not realize that they were still west of the mountains, with a 50+ knot headwind, it is difficult to estimate accurately where you truly are. The controller who had been vectoring them cleared them for the approach, and they descended to the crossing altitude for the first fix. Unfortunately, that was below the top of Mt Storm. The controllers are now forbidden to give 'cleared for the approach' for a plane west of Mt Storm.
It did not bother the controller that the plane disappeared repeatedly from radar, when it flew below the mountain. His excuse for that was a claim that he had never seen Mt Storm, as he drove to work, almost directly toward it.
My personal adventure with Dulles radar vectors was a few years later, also no GPS, and I was keeping aware of position with two VOR receivers, cross checking against a Sectional chart. If my trip had not been10 more hours in the air, I would have altered my destination to Dulles, and had a meeting with the Tower Chief. The desire to land at an unlighted grass field before sundown is strong.