Originally Posted by
bast0n
If I had been beating up the Gurkhas in a clearing - hit a bigger tree - crashed - killed a few people - gross negligence. Court marshall had I survived but what if I had died and there were no credible witnesses left? Bees in the cockpit or on the balance of probability I had ****** it up in spades? What would Hine say?
Let's make the hypothetical scenario more akin to the one under dispute.
Everyone killed, no witnesses - ok.
Let's add a little to that...
No data recordings either present or retrievable.
A history of technical problems with that particular aircraft
Serious concerns over the safety and airworthiness of the type.
The tree you hit was the biggest one in the forest and visible for miles around - in fact, so big it had its own weather system surrounding it.
I'd hope your family would hear a CNPD verdict being read out.
Originally Posted by
bast0n
In this instance I think we are in the "Nibbled to death by ducks" syndrome - but the final act, in all probability on the evidence available was "Pilot error". Not a huge damnation of the crew but a gentle reminder to us all that simple mistakes can have consequences far beyond the simple error, especially as in this case the VVIP load in the back moved the whole disaster up the scale. Had the aircraft been empty would be here now?
Maybe there wouldn't have been the neccessity to produce such a "case closing" verdict in that case.
Personally, I find it unacceptable that the pilots are being blamed for the accident, and I would feel the same had they been on their own.
Originally Posted by
bast0n
Hit a tree in Borneo - no problem - Windsor Great Park whilst the Queen was out riding, man with camera phone, Daily Mirror...........?
See where I am coming from?
Not really - in the Windsor case there would be credible witnesses and more information available. Hopefully that would lead to a fair verdict.
Or did you mean a more high profile incident should lead to a harsher verdict, regardless of the evidence?
TN