[Wombat]

“ Perhaps we should - CFIT from IMC penetration is far and away the biggest killer on record; serial killer class and despite the efforts made to reduce the carnage, the radical of Why persist has not been plumbed. We just can't sit back and blame fate, or bravado, or fool hardiness; or some form of 'itis'; not forever. Ramble over, apologies to those offended.”

I can tell you one way to get caught. The weather gradually deteriorates, just in your valley, the area forecast is fine. There is a little cloud on your track, you steer around it, then there is another, ….and another. You successfully steer around them too. All is still OK. Now the ceiling is descending, a little, there is another cloud to avoid. You can see your destination and sunlight ahead. Then that window shuts but you see clear skies in another direction, so you change course. You have been ever so slowly and gently seduced. You are now in a maze, cloud windows open and close. You have lost situational awareness. You are below safe altitude in an effort to remain VFR. I say again, you have been slowly and gently seduced. There was nothing violent or obvious about it at all.

All that now remains is for the windows to close and this tiny trap - maybe ten square miles of cloud, springs shut and you are gone.

You don’t think of asking for help because you think the authorities are your natural enemy and a mayday will trigger a potentially criminal investigation.