ampan - your point about the ANZ employees is well taken. Unfortunately in any event of this nature a lot of people become collateral casualties to those losing their lives. I personally know a young man who Esso attempted to blame as the sole cause of an explosion in a gas plant which cost some lives and injuries to others. It took a Royal Commission to clear his name (the usual organisational failures were found to be the cause - lack of training, tardy maintenance, superficial auditing etc etc). In the mean time (not forgeting those who died or were injured) his life, marriage etc etc has been totally destroyed, and nor would you believe the machinations that took place with regard to personal interest. But then, can you blame people for looking out for number one? Nothing I have read regarding this unfortunate accident would surprise me if it were found to be fact (eg perjury by some). Is it possible that PM Muldoon influenced in some way Mr Chippendales report? The PM was not known to be a shrinking violet. The PM has the nations, and the airlines since it was government owned, best interest at heart (if we forget for the moment any embarassment to the government itself for a moment). I don't mean to suggest for one moment that is what did take place, but it is a possibility and has happened in the past. When saying that I have knowledge of one government employee who was threatened to be cashiered minus his pension if he did not shut up in the media when he was fighting a rear guard action to retain a capability within the nation, and save the jobs of many. I have little doubt that his early death had much to do with the battle fought.
Sorry to go some what OT. PB - History is old, and repeats itself. The fact is, we don't know what the real facts are (witness what was/was not surposedly said at the briefing) and anyones particular view is nothing more than conjecture really. And thats why these discussions will continue.
Edited to add.
All I'm saying is that you don't go down until you know where you are.
ampan - I know where your coming from with the statement but as in my post above I tried to make the case that if Captain Collins and crew were in VMC above the LSALT were they not entitled to make the descent whilst maintaining VMC. The necessity of knowing where you are when flying VFR is not an absolute, because VMC presurposes that you can see the furniture and take the requisite action to avoid hitting same. If you can't see (whiteout - something that Collins had absolutely no experience of) the furniture though........................