UPDATED: David Henderson - Found guilty.

[Rjk]

I'm not a professional, I fly general aviation. If I wasn't rated to fly at night I wouldn't even be in the aircraft after dusk. If I was rated for night flying I wouldn't fly a single engine prop over water at night. If I was hoping to fly locally at night and there were storms (actual or forecast), I'd stay in the club house. if there were storms then its most likely you can only fly IFR (instrument flight rules) above the clouds and I doubt Ibbotson had an instrument rating if he didn't have a night rating.

the flight should never have happened. a better pilot would have waited until morning when better conditions were possible. the responsibility of the aircraft and its passengers wrests with the pilot in command at all times.

From memory, wasn't the pilot in some financial difficulties? that could have played a part in his reckless actions if he thought he wouldn't get the job if he had to postpone it.

[Feedback]

From memory, wasn't the pilot in some financial difficulties? that could have played a part in his reckless actions if he thought he wouldn't get the job if he had to postpone it.

that may be part of his motivation but really it should not. the rules are there for a reason, above all else flight safety trumps everything, and if it does not, then you really shouldn't be at the controls.