On Mon, 04 Jun 2007 16:49:34 -0700, John Galban
wrote in .com:

On Jun 4, 1:58 pm, Larry Dighera wrote:

I understand your reluctance to squeal on a fellow airman, but how are
you going to feel when you learn that his ineptitude has caused his,
and perhaps the deaths of others?

It might be reasonable to contact the airman directly. Just a
thought.

FSDO : Hello Larry?
Larry : Yes?
FSDO : Some guy on the internet called us because he didn't think
you used good judgement on your flight last Saturday afternoon.
Larry : Who is this guy? Was he in the air at the time? Is he a
controller?
FSDO : Nope, just some random guy on the internet who has decided,
from a few scraps of data on the internet, that your WX judgement is
not up to snuff.
Larry : But he wasn't even there. Did I break any regs?
FSDO : There's no evidence that you broke any regs, Larry. It
doesn't really matter though. What does matter is the opinion of
some guy on the internet, and how, from the safety of his chair, he
has determined that you messed up enough to warrant a report to the
FSDO.

Maybe this guy messed up, maybe what he did was well within the
regs. Personally, I don't know how much weight this guy was actually
placing in his XM weather, as opposed to what he was seeing out the
window. The fact is, no one on this newsgroup knows that. I think
the idea of reporting someone to the FSDO because you think your
judgement (sitting behind a keyboard) is superior to what you think
his judgement might have been, is absurd.

John Galban=====N4BQ (PA28-180)



John,

My suggestion was to the OP who was listening to the ATC exchanges,
had some radar WX data, and is familiar with the area.

My understanding of what occurred is that the line of CBs was moving
north toward the intended airport of arrival while the C-712 pilot was
moving east toward the airport. Without knowledge of the locations of
the cells, I agree, it's difficult to know just how much danger the
pilot was in, but when he turned south to wait out the weather it
would seem that he'd have to have gone right through them. But who
knows?