Dessert Dingo,
I for one am certainly not an apologist for ANZ, in fact over the years, and particularly about the time of the crash had very little time for them.
If the company requirement for descent was complied with then there would have been no crash, it was as simple as that.
If you wish to quote from the CVR go back a little further,
"We're maintaining 10,000 presently 34 miles to the north of McMurdo"
34 miles North, 10000ft, no DME lock on, no VHF contact, no radar contact. what would that tell you???
From Peter Mulgrew, the expert ice man, the only one who had been down there.
"I still can't see very much at the moment-- as soon as I see something that gives me a clue as to where we are I'll let you know"
That statement descending between 10000ft and 6000ft.
As you say there was a lot of "They thought"
If you consider the crew blameless, as apparently Mahon did, after flying a perfectly serviceable aeroplane into a mountain carrying out a procedure that was against a Company Standing order then so be it.
TAY 611,
Mahon made all his own decisions unassisted by any ANZ crew in any official capacity, there was I believe an RNZAF officer meant to be assisting him in a technical capacity, but his name was not mentioned once in the report I dont believe.
Prospector