Jim was told was he ?
By whom ? Don't recall this information appearing in the Chippendale (or Mahon) report. As for any information Jim may have been given at the route briefing, that was hotly disputed by other pilots who attended the briefing. If Jim was a very bad pilot, how was it that the aces at Air NZ flight ops management allowed Jim to command a flight to Antarctica, or to anywhere for that matter. One thing that can be determined with certainty from this tragedy, is that Air NZ flight ops management of the time were a complete and utter bunch of incompetent arseclowns and will be remembered not only for their abject failure in the safe management of an Airline, but also for their pathetic attempt at a coverup.