The perlis of "scud running" continued VFR flight into IMC

[walterleo]

Hi friends:

A dramatic video was published at "Plane and Pilot": How fast one can fall into a trap: Starting with scud running in a helicopter in mountainous terrain, the pilot went over a ridge and there were only clouds, tried to turn back and there was the ridge. Thanks God all on board survived.

www.planeandpilotmag.com/news/the-latest/2022/08/16/dramatic-video-echoes-of-kobe-bryant-disaster-in-panama-helicopter-crash/

Kind regards

Walter

[Tony Madge - HJG]

Its amazing anyone survived! Scud running is dangerous and in this video the signs were there and the pilot should have turned back before going over the ridge and into cloud, behind the ridge there was always a very good chance in those conditions that it was a "soup bowl" and thus should be avoided at all costs

[walterleo]

Hi friends:

Besides this pilot committed also a cardinal sin of mountain-flying crossing the ridge head on at 90 degrees and not at 30 dig, so he could have more time to see, what he had to expect at the other side. The flight instructors normally only mention preparing for possible downdrafts in this way, but one can also add avoiding bad visibility.

Kind regards