Adding my tuppence worth... The truth lies somewhere between both extreme positions here.
Pilots acted unwisely and did not consider or comprehend why if they were so close to McMurdo why they could not raise them on line of sight VHF.
On the other hand Air NZ screwed up with wrong INS co-ordinates giving crew a false sense of comfort.
There was obviously too, an element of management tolerance about not following SOPs.
Prospector asked:
The statement "Orchestrated litany of lies" has been shot down by so many people, including Mahons peers, his superiors, and up to the Privy Council, it is hard to understand why it is still quoted.
At the time of the enquiry, not only as Casper pointed out were the homes of pilots broken into (presumably by the NZ SIS on behalf Air NZ under Muldoon's instructions), but also according to my friend at the time, Tim Mahon son of Peter Mahon, the judge's house was also broken into.
Remember that in 1977 the SIS Ammendment Act was passed prohibiting publication of SIS activities, so what we had here was a politician abusing an instrument of state for political reasons and using statutory secrecy to conceal the facts.
Tim told me the only things taken from his father's house were papers relating to the Erebus enquiry.
That is why the phrase "orchestrated litany of lies" continues to hold currency. Because sadly, Prospector Mahon was right too.
Pilots were wrong on the day, but they were also corporate fall guys for a corporate which failed to properly manage this aviation goldmine and their drunkard CEO and a bombastic Prime Minister were unwilling to accept some of the responsibility (or financial liability) which rested with the airline.