Lets back up the truth truck to avoid some carefully crafted falsehoods before they become alternate reality.
Originally Posted by
Pickuptruck
In the simulator with the same flight path and configuration it was possible to miss the mountain but only if the crew reacted instantly and correctly to the first GPWS warning.
"The flights in the simulator indicated that experienced pilots would not have avoided a collision and that the warning given was in accordance with the design specifications of the GPWS. With sufficient rehearsal it was possible to fly the aircraft away from the approaching slope when an extreme manoeuvre was initiated in response to the onset of the GPWS warning".
Source - Chippendale report 1.16.4
(Sounds a bit like the legal case against Sullenberger).
The GPWS could have gone off all day, Collins was so confused and lost there was no way he was climbing out back to above MSA.
He had selected GoAround Power so was obviously going up. Source - CVR
if they had the visibility required they should have been able to see it. If you can’t see it you’re either completely lost or the visibility isn’t what you think it is.
"Whiteout conditions can exist within the normal VMC minima and even in the conditions defined by Air New Zealand as the minima for VMC descents to 6000 feet" Chippendale 2.17 And it can occur in 100km vis.
Chippendale stated only a competent crew acting as soon as the first GPWS warning sounded could have avoided impact.
He said nothing of the sort.
"The crew responded expeditiously in the circumstances to the GPWS warning. Simulator trials proved conclusively that with an unexpected warning such as this, it would have been impossible to avoid the accident with a normal pilot's response allowing reasonable identification and reaction times to the GPWS warning." - Chippendale P78
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Prospector
None of the arguments presented so far can justify a descent when the weather conditions at McMurdo were well below those laid down for any descent
I am not condoning his actions going to 1500. Never have. I'm just pointing out errors and holes in various posters' assumptions. This flight and the other flights should never have left the MSA even abiding by the company restrictions they had.