Good post Rigga. There is never a good time to ground an entire fleet. The Hastings stayed where they were until Field Rectification teams arrived to do a major re-riveting job on the tail assembly as well as replacing the errant outrigger bolts. In my case that meant an enforced stopover in Sydney while the rest of the crew of our Mk4 Hastings were repatriated to Changi, leaving me, as Co and Imprest Holder, and two groundcrew guys to attend the old girl once a week at Kingsford Smith. Start the engines, taxi her onto a new heading, shut down, and complete the STI. Then recover from that ordeal until the following week. I think the two airmen were paying the RAF, rather than vice-versa, for months after but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to... well 'nuff said as they say.
As to wee Gordon McBrown being answerable to someone, who's that then? It plainly isn't me! I'm afraid that "accountable" and "responsible" have both become discredited words in the modern lexicon. Until people are prepared to stand up and fight against the perverting of airworthiness or the rigging of inquiries, if necessary at the cost of their own careers, such abuse will go on happening. That is why I am convinced that only by taking responsibility for both away from the MOD and the RAF to a separate and independent MAA and MAAIB will we be assured of regaining the old standards that you and I recall.