Cazatou
<<The only alternative to the "hats on interview" was to try to complete the task as quickly as possible.>>
Again, the suggestion that they were going to fast – but their air speed (calculated average over the leg) was the norm for cruising at their altitude in that air temp even with a full load – a point I have made before and asked for comment here. I suggest, therefore, that your point may only be relevant in regard to route planning (eg. cutting corners, etc) as opposed to suggesting undue haste. Further, as (IMHO) they were not going to overfly the Mull but rather turn up the coast, they in fact overshot a corner rather than cut it – therefore one can remove pressure to take shortcuts in route planning from the equation also.
I have said before that, as covered in the FAI, they were within crew duty hours (even for the op area) when they crashed – so however overstretched/ fatigued they may have been later on in their journey, duty hours should not be a consideration of their ability to function by the time of the crash.
Just for information regarding the security of the site immediately after the crash, you had posted (1941):
<<The first people at the site were the Lighthouse Keeper and his Deputy. They secured the site until the Civil Police and Fire Services, as well as Medical Personnel, arrived from Campbeltown to assist. Later RAF Personnel from RAF Kinloss took over as Crash Guard. Nobody else was allowed on the site until the search for any possible survivors was completed.>>
This gives readers the impression that the site was well secure BUT I have been informed that the first (single) policeman arrived on the scene 40 minutes after the crash and who, from his comments, would have been the first other than the lighthouse keepers and tourists – that’s FORTY minutes; further, assuming the lighthouse keeper raised the alarm with a conventional ‘phone, there would have been a period in that 40 minutes when only a couple of individuals were known to be around the site. Trying to be positive – perhaps a lesson for future high risk vip flights would be to keep in regular contact throughout so that response could be quicker rather than rely upon a distress call …