You are missing the main point.. The weather was way below the minimums laid down for any sort of descent into McMurdo, End of story..
It was recommended that the flight proceed to an area that was clear of cloud, by people qualified in Antarctic weather.
"That so many flights were completed prior to Collins flight is in itself pretty tinnie" Probably because those flights had weather far better than this flight.
.That is why I believe the Chippindale report on the accident, where he did not apportion blame, which is not the requirement of an accident report, it is to find the cause, states that the "probable cause" is a far more balanced report
Last edited by prospector; 8th Dec 2019 at 08:30.
Reason: addition