Originally Posted by
Chris2303
Because Mahon found that the Air NZ Navigation section changed the flight plan but didn't specifically tell the operating crew.
Captain Collins spent sometime plotting the previous tracks, which led past Erebus instead of right into it, so that he had a mental picture of where he would be.
To my mind Brick Lucas should not have been removed to the cabin to make room for Peter Mulgrew whose presence on the flight deck must have been a distraction.
Remember that Mahon's "orchestrated litany of lies" was directed at Air NZ management, not at anyone else.
The descent below MSA was also dealt with by Mahon, indicating that while it is a fact that the crew descended below the stated minimum company altitude, the fact that photos from 2000 feet, glowing stories about the views available from that height and the fact that it appeared in the company's advertising literature (and Staff Newspaper) and was tolerated on just about every flight led Mahon to conclude that the crew would have felt they were acting in accordance with acceptable operational precedent.
The accident didn't happen in isolation. It is arguable that the crew were not properly briefed on phenomena such as sector whiteout and were thus ill-prepared by the airline... Captain Collins was known by all to be someone who was almost fanatical about preparation for every flight.