Originally Posted by HEATHROW DIRECTOR
The arguments will continue, but in my book the crew were in error. If they were in true "visual" conditions they should have seen the dangers; it's no good arguing about waypoints being moved. They were ultimately responsible for the safety of the aeroplane and it went pear-shaped. Sorry if that upsets anyone... 30+ years later I still get the shivers thinking about it.
I agreed the same at the time, during the Royal Commission and still now. At that time the 1953 Civil Aviation Regulations, Reg 51 stated "The Pilot in Command is responsible for the safety of the passangers, crew and aircraft". Collins was the Pilot in Command and the majority of the blame rests on his shoulders irrespective of the orchistrated litiney of lies by ANZ, it was HIS responsibility to check the waypoints that were input into the INS.
HD, I share your shivers. I was a PPL at that time waiting at NZCH for the DC10 to land and refuel before heading back to Auckland. It was a long cold night and it didn't take long before we worked out it had exceeded it's flight time and had run out of go-juice.
Collins has to share the majority of the blame but that doesn't say other may have been blameless. Again it is a case of the swiss cheese syndrome; take away one factor and it may never have happened. I remember a C130 flew the same route but 500 fet higher and it cleared the summit. How many seconds earlier if TOGA had been applied would we now not be discussing this issue. It was a sad day for the whole country. What followed was also no better.
I would also like to make it very clear that I in no way am trying to impeach the integrity of Captain Vette and his role in the subsequent Commission. I met him briefly (picked up the Tech Crew when I was driving taxis while saving for my C Cat) and from discussions with ANZ flight crew who knew him, he was a man of honour and intergrity. I believe he was protecting/defending his pilots from the ANZ management skulduggery that took place after the event. Captain Collins was responsible for checking the Flight Plan and using an old school atlas was really not the way to do that. That was not a professional at work on this ocassion and added to the swiss cheese slices.
Mahon uncovered the ANZ management involvement and the attempted coverup or at least the distortion of events and the political involvement. However he failed to take into account Reg 51 and the responsibility of the PinC in this Regulation.
This tragedy was a long time ago. Lessons were learned from this (like they are from every accident). I hope AF447 and other tragic incidents are not going to suffer the same repeated regurgitation that TE901 is being put through.