Erebus 25 years on

[prospector]

Desert Dingo,
""reckless light aircraft pilot flying at low level in poor visibility and hits hill" type investigation.

I would suggest you read a bit more widely than Mahons utterings before you print crap like that.

Ron Chippendale was an ex RNZAF transport pilot, instructor,

"He had formally been involved in military flight safety and accident investigation for several years before being seconded to similar duties in Civil Aviation, and his standing in the world community is such that as someone scrupulously fair and independent, he has been asked to investigate some accidents of a particularly delicate political nature. (Recently, for instance he was appointed to the five-strong United Nations team to investigate the loss of Korean Airlines Boeing 747 airliner, Flight KAL007, shot down by a Soviet fighter near the island of Sakhalin in 1983).

Anyway, what is the difference between a reckless small aircraft pilot flying low level in reduced visibility and hitting a hill, than reckless flying low level, in reduced visibility, in a large aircraft and hitting a mountain???. Apart from the fact the large aircraft had all the latest nav gear, top of the line equipment, multi crew, weather radar, etc.

I believe I have an answer, but would be interested to hear if you have.


"I have no difficulty concluding that I would probably have done exactly the same and also finished spread all over the mountain. As you have pointed out before, it is hard to find one instance where the crew did something that did not seem reasonable at the time."

What is reasonable about descending VMC to do a sightseeing run, when conditions at the base were below the authorised descent minima, and the crew had already been advised to give McMurdo a miss due weather and proceed to Taylor Valley area.