The whole tragic saga demonstrates yet again that the CASA needs to change their ways of dealing with the aviation community, if it ever wants to gain the trust, support and confidence necessary to obtain good grass roots information, about what is really happening in the air or on the ground.
Spot on the money.
When you're dealing with a generally decent and law abiding community (which I believe the aviation community is) you can learn a hell of a lot more leaning on the fence talking to people than you will by stomping around in jackboots making threats.
There's a time and place for jackboots (and if ever there was a place, Hempel Aviation was it
) but for the most part it just gets everyone off side and makes them clam up. Other federal agencies are well aware of this, but to a large extent it seems to have passed CASA by.
Most people will only report stuff to the government if 1. it's easy, 2. they can do it anonymously and 3. they trust the agency they're reporting it to. Often if they know an officer personally they'll report stuff they wouldn't dream of ringing the department about. That's why guys on the ground are so important for an agency, even if they never seem to achieve all that much.
Slack? Sure, but that's humans for you. Most people don't really believe in accidents until they actually happen.