disregarding all the safeguards that had been built into the requirements for these flights to proceed to Antarctica,
This one is interesting, yes there were safeguards built in, but according to evidence, every flight, bar perhaps one descended below 6000ft. Someone, be it a line pilot, management pilot or perhaps management itself set the expectation of a 1500ft altitude. it was published in pamphlets, A McDonnell Douglas executive thanked the CEO for his 1500ft flight. That's Collin's fault right?
and never having been down to the ice previously,
Wasn't that the case for every Captain that flew those flights? mmm, who approved that? The line pilot that was chosen to do the particular flight? Hardly.
is flying a DC10 at 260+ knots, at slightly below 1,500ft
I know of RPT pilots that flew above 300kts at those altitudes, back in the day, which coincided with this accidents day.
and not knowing his exact position, is blameless???,
How many of the previous Captains plotted 'exactly' where they were,
on a map, prior to descending below 6000ft?
How many of those previous Captains had the waypoints changed,
without being let let know, the day before the flight?
How many of the previous Captains had been trained on the significant visual illusions that occur down there?
Does Collins being blamed 1%, 15%, 50% constitute piece of mind for the people that want desperately to see someone blamed?
In my opinion, of course Collins played a part in this disaster, but Holy ****................one of those scenic flights was doomed from the moment the first flight descended below 6000ft. That so many flights were completed prior to Collins flight is in itself pretty tinnie. But then again, the previous flights hadn't had the waypoints changed, the night before the flight, without notice to the operating crew.