Cazatou,
I wonder if the yachtsman, Mr Mark Holbrook struggled to recall events as he was not debriefed immediately. I don't wish to be accused of selective quotations, but here are a few comments made by Mr Holbrook to the House of Lords Select Committee.
"Seven years have now passed since the accident however, and therefore in order to refresh my memory I have had to now review the papers sent to me by Mr Makower, and in that review I have been surprised and distressed to understand from the evidence to this inquiry from Air Chief Marshal Sir William Wratten that the nub of the issue as far as the finding of Gross Negligence on the part of the two pilots turns on the flight rule regime that the aircraft was in at the time that I, as the last eyewitness, saw it. The reason I am surprised, my Lord Chairman, is that throughout the last seven years I have always felt that my evidence was nothing other than corrobatory - confirming what had already been gleaned from other witnesses and events. It now seems to me however, if I have understood Sir William's evidence correctly, that the direction, altitude, attitude, speed and visibility that the aircraft was experiencing at the time of the last sighting is central to a determination if the crew had an option available to them to continue under visual flight rules or alternatively had to make a transition to instrument flight rules. Against that yardstick of relevance to the finding of Gross Negligence on the part of the aircrew, my Lord Chairman, I have to tell you and your Committee that I feel my evidence was not collected with either the diligence or professionalism that the aircrew or their families have a right, from my perspective as a layman, to expect."
and...
"I am by training however a research worker, I have been trained to observe a situation which in itself may very well be outwith my ken. I had, at the time, a vivid mental picture of the aircraft which if I had been debriefed fully would surely have yielded more information about those fateful last minutes than you have in front of you today. To this day, My Lord, despite having asked repeatedly, I have never seen photographs of the aircraft at different heights and ranger, never mind had the opportunity of seeing one of the aircraft flying at differing speeds or climbing."
I know you don't blame Mr Holbrook, Cazatou, but perhaps, had he been debriefed a little more promptly and formally, his evidence may have been afforded a little more respect by those who reviewed the evidence presented to them. He was, after all, the last known eye-witness.
Also, by my own comments, I do not wish to be disrespectful to those involved in the evidence collation stages. I acknowledge that they were very difficult times. I merely wish to point out some mitigating circumstances.
My best, as always.
Brian