I continue to turn over the cock up versus conspiracy question in my head.
I have no quarrel with Tecumseh’s account, and as discussed earlier in the thread see the issuing of the RTS by The Scottish Officer as the key enabler for the ensuing tragedy. That said, he did seem to have the gumption to qualify the approval given, restricting it to start up only. Surely evidence in itself that he too knew it wasn’t airworthy, and was issuing the document on other than an entirely voluntary basis?
We surely need to consider how such a clear restriction to the use of the aircraft was ignored, and who ignored it, to the extent of overruling the Pilots request to use another aircraft.
Despite the shambles which preceded it, the system had actually worked. The aircraft was documented as not being fit to fly. How did it come to be flying?