Just to get the facts straight.=left
The route MSA was FL160, For descent below this there were four conditions that had to be met, none were. the minimum descent for any reason was 6,000ft, this was a mandatory requirement laid down by CAA before these flights could commence.
A strict reading of the requirements would have you believe that
prospector, however that is not what was said at the briefings nor carried out by crews. As said prior, the very fact that they didn't comply was known to all via the media, including airline management.
Aircraft were known to fly up the sound at 2,000/1,500, having descended to that altitude via an enroute descent. The excuse is given that they were in severe clear VMC, the argument then becomes what defines VMC. There is no evidence that Captain Collins was in anything other than VMC up to the point of impact, to say otherwise is not to understand whiteout. It should be noted too that McMurdo folk observed an aircraft on one occasion operating in and out of cloud at some 2,000 while the aircraft reported they were in VMC. I recall on climb out in Antarctica as a pax and being in severe clear VMC all the way to entering the overcast at 20,000, yet it was like being in a milk bottle, absolutely nothing distinguishable in the visual field, except rare shadows on the surface cast by invisible isolated small puff ball clouds below. The manner in which the airline operated was an accident looking for a time and place to happen, and happen it did, unfortunately to Captain Collins, crew and passengers.
“The evidence shows Vette to be a company man, towing the company line.”
I'd like to see the evidence, he fought the company tooth and nail, and the company reciprocated by doing all they could to get rid of him.