Originally Posted by
Ollie Onion
- if the crew had taken heed of the McMurdo controller who advised the conditions were not suitable, due to cloud and whiteout, for sightseeing in the area then the crash would have been avoided.
- if any of the crew had questioned the relative position of Bird Island then the position error could have been picked up.
- given the inability to see any of the expected landmarks in VMC if any of the crew (some of who were trained navigators) had plotted a position on the chart or atlas the crash would have been avoided.
- if the crew had decided that given their unfamiliarity with Antarctic operations they were just going to follow published procedures for let down below MSA instead of opting for a figure eight descending pattern in VMC when the CVR shows they weren't 100% certain of their position then the crash would have been avoided.
- if the crew had initiated a climb to above MSA at the first instance of doubt being expressed as to their situation the crash MAY have been avoided.
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I notice you have left out two important IF(s).
- if the Navigation Section hadn't changed the final waypoint to a position directly behind high terrain.
- if after making this change, had advised the operating crew about it.
I notice the tone of the posts now are softening a little in respect to blame versus contributing factors. It's a pity Ron Chippendale didn't apply that sentiment when he drew up his final report. The findings of his report (Pilot Error) was what ignited the search for truth.
There has always been three camps in this debate. The Chippendale, Mahon and Moderates.
The Mahon report contained overwhelming evidence it was not pilot error that caused this accident. That finding upset the Chippendale/Air New Zealand and NZ Government so began years of trying to overturn that conclusion. To no avail. In fact, the compensation paid out to victims by the Air NZ insurers and NZ government, the failure of the appeal to the Privy Council to overturn the findings in the Mahon inquiry and finally an apology by both these parties to the families of the flight crew, further crystallized the Mahon findings. They have never been overturned on appeal.
I have no doubt this debate will continue but The Honourable Justice Mahon got it right and the findings in his inquiry still stand today.
India Four Two, a very nice touch and prudent post to end (until the next chapter) this debate.