Fark me,
It suddenly got real.
Before you hang the pilot out to dry you need to understand the culture that he was operating in. He was greener than an everglade, operating an aeroplane that is luckily very forgiving. It would have ended very badly if it were the 207. English is his second language and the turbocharger from what I understand was servicable prior to dispatch, however there had been reported problems with the waste gate. The owner didn't in fact tell him to dispatch it with an unserviceable turbocharger, but said if it did become unserviceable in flight, it would still fly.
Unfortunalty it failed on takeoff from what I have been informed. Read into that as you will. If it were Craig's aeroplane, he wouldn't have sent it out until he inspected it. If he did, it certainly wouldn't have been with a 200 hour pilot at the helm.
A 200 hour pilot Unfortunalty doesn't have the wisdom to say no when they should. Now with thousands of hours of hind site, guys like me would have refused the aeroplane. Would you have refused it after being told by the head engineer/owner that is was safe to fly after a brief discussion? Guys had been sacked for less. One for making a comment after being made to do the gardening springs to mind.
I also don't think that grin was a pilot who was proud of himself. That grin to me is a pilot who is living on adrenalin and probably about to come down real quick, despair would be displayed shortly after entering the pig pen.
So don't hang the guy out to dry. He was operating in an environment that under its duty of care should have nurtured him. Unfortunalty the system failed and the result is what's in the video.
It's a sad day to see this and really, those poor passengers. They are the ones who suffered. They are the ones who were let down by everybody concerned. Everyone concerned should have known a hell of a lot better. I watched that clip with my heart in my mouth.
I ashamed at ever having anything to do with the place, even though it was earlier last decade under completely different management.
Frankly I'm disgusted.