I think the 1500ft-descent options are bad because the min vectoring altitude of 3000ft is probably because there is terrain there and probably above 1500ft, so you might hit terrain in the descent to 1500ft.
ATC probably won’t have a more detailed obstacle map than their MRVA map.
I have never really had a bad case of the “leans” despite the best efforts of my instructors…however I believe a bad vertigo experience is something that should not be underestimated….I understand a cold or some other condition interfering with middle ear performance can make it very bad….hence descending into VFR may be the smartest thing in this case
I agreed with their choice. Get on the ground.
It’s a bit underspecified / simplified in my view. If at 1500ft, I have an immediate and good view of the terrain/obstacle situation then of course I would not go back into IMC. However, you could be marginal VMC and below safe altitude. Trying to descent to force VMC is what can get you killed easily.
I don’t know how bad that vertigo is and what the state of mind of the pilot is (never having it experienced myself) but my thinking is that climbing to safe altitude and getting back my orientation using the instruments is the way to go.
In real life, I would have my GPS with terrain depiction and color codes. If that tells me I’m safe at 1500ft, I would remain there. Don’t need to consult maps etc.
I think that, at many places, where the MRVA is 3000ft, a descent to 1500ft will get you killed – except by sheer luck.
I think the problem posed is underspecified mainly by not saying how much ATC know about the obstacles. I think that here in Europe they probably know mostly very little.
I think that here in Europe they probably know mostly very little.
In Germany, they can overlay the VFR map with a single click onto their radar screens so they know a lot about safe altitudes. MRVA can be much higher, it’s 5600ft at my airfield whereas the airfield is at 1400ft and the traffic pattern at 2200ft. Only going south would get me killed, north would be fine until Norway and that information ATC can quickly get you.
I also thought it was telling that you were getting a relay from center. So not simple to get help from a radar controller.
I watched the video a couple of days ago and came to the conclusion that I would have landed at the nearest airfield. In a situation like this I’d want to take a breather and a step back, sort myself and the airplane out and then ponder my next move.
It’s a bit underspecified / simplified in my view. If at 1500ft, I have an immediate and good view of the terrain/obstacle situation then of course I would not go back into IMC.
Don’t forget where they were flying. In the flat parts of the US you can have masts that reach and exceed 1500 ft. A steel beam or guy wire will kill you as surely as cumulugranitus.
I think that if you lost control of the plane because you cannot fly by hand in IMC, and accidentally popped out of the cloud at 1500ft and saw the ground, and you were still alive (i.e. you didn’t hit any rocks on the way down despite the MRVA being 3000ft) then the best thing is to fly to a runway and land there and have a coffee.
If no runway is reachable without hitting rocks then a “precautionary landing” i.e. get it down into some field has to be the best option. In reality, and the accident record suggests, almost no pilot is going to do that because it is psychologically very hard to admit you screwed up in such a hard way (a probably damaged aircraft being the result).
The MVA can be well above the lowest safe altitude at distance from the radar head….a quick look around here shows 2500’ and 3000’ over the sea and low lying land….so assuming the pilot is aware of the LSA on his route it is not inconceivable that descending below the MVA could be safe
