As regards the number of flights in the preceding 14 months, they only flew to Antartica in October and November, so as to get the best weather. There were only about six flights per season (which is why it was a dead loss commercially).
As regards the captains of the previous flights, one of them (Capt. Simpson) noted 'something'. But even if those captains were performing aerobatics over the summit of Mt Erebus, that doesn't absolve Capt. Collins. He must have noted the difference between the statements at the briefing and the sample flightplan. All he had to do was to check that waypoint when it was entered, or, at the very least, check it against the chart after reaching Cape Hallet, especially given that he had decided to descend below the minimum safe altitude.
As regards the Investigate article, I don't see any alternative theory put forward. The words in square brackets are just some journalist's notes, inserted to make the transcript more readable. In any event, how can this alternative theory assist the crew? If anything, it makes them look even less certain of their position.
Whatever be the background, it is clear that the F/O wanted to go right and the captain did not. It is also clear that the only way out was to the left.
As regards the military route, the so-called "false" waypoint was reasonably close, but further to the southwest. You wouldn't get an exact match with an overlay. It should be noted that the military aircraft were to land at McMurdo Station, hence the Byrd Reporting Point in the middle of the Sound. The military aircraft would head for Byrd using their two-platform INS (cf the DC10's better three-platform INS) at above the Minimum Safe Altitude until McMurdo fixed their position by radar. They would then go below MSA and turn left at Byrd, knowing they were lined up for landing.
The Byrd Reporting Point had very little relevance to AirNZ's Nav section, because the DC10s were not going to land. The obvious location for the final waypoint was a beacon. Initially, it was the NDB. When that failed, they changed it to the TACAN. The problem was that for 14 months the waypoint was not at the NDB, so a change that was thought to be very small turned out to be of the order of 26 nautical miles.
Last edited by ampan; 6th Mar 2010 at 01:49.