I have finally caught up with all discussion here and am truly disheartened to read that report. what strikes me is that the post #64 by Typhoondriver sums up my thoughts. It is so sad that past lessons regarding secondary duties and distraction have not be heeded.
Over twenty years ago I saw on a regular basis niff naff and triv taking someone's mind off their primary task.
The first was a young and newly qualified ATC Director coming on to shift. As Sup I knew the afternoon was going to be busy and asked what was on his mind. He had just had a bollocking from the PMC for not getting the Mess Minutes distributed on time and that he (the PMC) wanted them by close of play. I told him not to worry and that I would sort it, which I did pointing out to said PMC that it was wholly unacceptable to put people under undue pressure, especially when their primary role involved flight safety. The PMC seemed to have no concept of what was at stake and I told him as much. I got 1/2 a bollocking from SATCO and 1/2 praise too for standing up and speaking my mind. It wasn't the only time I had to step in and bring some sanity / reality back to the situation. (it was how I got the Whipping Boy monicker).
The second was at a pre-flight briefing involving a few jags and some visiting aircraft (might have been when the migs came over) Anyhow, we were just about to start and one of the JP's came running in a tad flustered. OC Ops tapped his watch and asked what the delay was. The JP had just been contacted by an admin in PSF asking for some paperwork or such and that it was needed by OC PSF by the end of the day as the admin assistant was going on leave. OC Ops apologised to the group, picked up the phone and ripped said admin a new one. He told them their leave was cancelled and that he expected them in his office first thing in the morning for a "chat".
We all had our fair share of secondary duties and sometimes you had to make it known that they were "secondary" and unimportant; if it was important then it should be someone else's Primary duty. It is extremely sad that here we have a loss of a life, a pilot's career in the balance and an aircraft lost ...for what? Just because the services saved a few quid on employing someone to do the basic admin tasks - as Typhoondriver succinctly put it - counting the sandwiches. Personally I think it is shameful.