The report is a summary. More happened than is reported. I know that this is a rumour network but I am not prepared to present hearsay. They found two scapegoats. For the record I flew with this crew many, many times. The two gentlemen were exceptional operators. I am sure that the captain is following this thread but he can't defend himself here. Unfortunately the navigator is no longer with us
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The report is indeed a summary but summary or not the officer in command is just that. He is in command and letting an inexperienced person fly this piece of equipment is his decision and allowing someone to land the aircraft in anything other than the most easiest of conditions is again just one more decision that has to be made.
This officer may well be a highly competent, highly experienced, gifted and talented pilot but....
On that specific day, on that specific flight he failed in his duty of care and responsibility. Is it easy to say no to someone of such high office? Of course not and it would be silly to suggest otherwise. However this officer had a duty to stand up and be counted. He had a duty to simply state that on this occasion it was not right for the prince to land the aircraft.
By just reading the summary it is easy to feel sorry for the navigator and I like the comment about 'no stick, no blame........' but the summary gives no information about what was either said or not said. Did the navigator point out the wind conditions just to ensure they had been fully understood and appreciated by those flying the aircraft? Or did the navigator just sit there waiting for this accident to happen?
Please note those comments are NOT meant to be critical of this person, they are just questions.
From the outside looking in, it appears that HRH was attempting to do something that perhaps was beyond his levels of ability??
If the captain of the aircraft was happy with the flying skills of HRH and the approach, then quite clearly he was not the man that folks are describing (I am sure that is not the case) If he was NOT happy about what was happening then he was duty bound to step in...
I have a degree of sympathy for the captain of the aircraft but I feel there was a case to be answered regarding his conduct on that one very specific incident.
It is rumoured we can make a prince out of a frog, but you cannot turn a prince into a Royal Marine.
Prince Edward was treated in exactly the same way as any other member of Her Majesty's Forces, no special treatment, no being afraid of calling a spade an earth moving implement and no being afraid of telling someone they are perhaps better off being employed in a different role within Her Majesty's Forces. Instructors have a responsibility of care and would they be happy to allow an incompetent person to be responsible for the lives of those he leads?? The instructors made the right decisions no matter who the pupil was.
I have never met with, nor served with Prince Charles but have heard all types of stories regarding this person, both good and bad. I guess he is human being and possibly not perfect, unlike some of those that contribute to this forum??