Erebus 25 years on

[prospector]

Desert Dingo,

"The point we are debating is who got it wrong."

Not interested in what the legal people think, and not in a position to gainsay either the Law Lords or a senior law lecturer. All this happened long after the accident, and patently had nothing to do with the cause of the accident.

just because they are Law Lords does not prevent them from making the odd mistake or two).

By the same token is a senior law lecturer above making the odd mistake

"In the meantime you could brush up on how to present a valid argument"

Right brushed up, all the points I have put forward are from the perspective of a person who flew aeroplanes for a long time, all your arguments seem to be based on "He said, they said, no they did not they said that. they said this."

It is really quite simple and goes back to the first commandment of Flying.

"Thou shalt not make a stuff up or the ground will arise and smite thee"

The ground certainly arose and smote? this aircraft, and it was because a stuff up was made.

I was under the impression that the debate was about who bore the greater part of the blame for this stuff up.

Mahon said the crew bore no responsibility whatsoever, I cannot agree with that conclusion and have put forward many facts to support that argument,

There can be no discussion about the cause of the accident, the perfectly serviceable aircraft was flown into a mountain that everybody knew was there.

The question is then why did they do this. My argument has been, and always will be, that the descent was carried out in complete contradiction to their standing orders.

If you can answer my last question re authorisation of descent by McMurdo that Mahon said justified their action, when at no time that authorisation was given, VMC descent being what they decided contrary again to requirements of both CAA and Company, then perhaps one could start to agree with Mahon on the cause of the accident.

He did find much to fault in the operation of these flights, and certainly the company needed a shake up, and other associations involved with the company also needed to review their actions relating to the event.

But, if the flight had not descended in contradiction to the special requirements of descent for that area, those requirements necessitated by the crews known lack of experience in Antarctic operations, then it would not have hit the mountain.