JP,
Are you really saying that these eminent and distinguished Lords had no minds of their own?
After the recent murky events surrounding the issue of peerages, you may think that, but I couldn't possibly comment.
I think it might be more a question of what their minds were set on.
PKPF68-77,
While I'm on, I am sure that someone better qualified than I will come in to remind you that 2800' was well above the icing level. The Chinook Mk2 was not cleared for flight into icing conditions so climbing was apparently not an option.