The cockpit voice recording of the last five minutes of the fatal training flight on October 12th, 2009, shows that Capt Furniss suggests an unplanned attempt to route circuitously through Finny valley to Maam which was quickly abandoned by him, probably due to weather.
The instructor then turned the aircraft towards a ridge in the general direction of Maam without reassessing the situation, according to the report.
16.52.28Cadet Jevens The location just coming up on the south of Lough Mask now and there's Ballinrobe.
16.52.35Jevens OK Maam, situated just on the western side of the mountains valley to the inlet to the right which I can see is my lead-in feature. Another one to the right of that again which is to the north. I can see that I cannot climb over that high ground with the weather the way it is.
(Cadet Jevens gives further flight details).
16.53.10Jevens OK, neither valley has a low altitude where I could come around. I'm going to have to cut across the front, sir, and cancel my time check at Maam.
16.53.25Capt Furniss OK, hang on, let's continue and let's look at our options when we get in a bit further, alright.
16.53.32Jevens OK sir.
(Instructor and cadet have brief exchange on further options).
16.53.45Furniss OK we've also got two valleys that we can fly up, eh. We've got that one in our 12 to one o'clock, OK.
16.53.51Jevens Seen, sir.
16.53.52Furniss And we can follow that up, eh, and it breaks slightly right and we come around from the north of Maam.
16.53.59Jevens OK, sir. 16.53.59 Furniss Or the north-west of it.
16.54.02Jevens OK sir, I can see that, yeah, where it breaks to the right.
(Further exchanges).
16.54.16Furniss OK, so let's drop it down.
(Further exchanges as flight transits the valley).
16.56.33Furniss I've control [spoken quickly].
16.56.34Jevens You've control, sir.
16.56.39Furniss Bad decision now.
In final two minutes of recording, the flight radio altimeter and excessive G-force alarms sound.