Quote Assistant Commissioner John Standing
"We also believe the coroner's verdict also highlights the maturity of the Western Australian Police Service in relation to its openness during the investigation and subsequently this inquest."
What the Hell does this mean ?????
We had the choice to cover it up ? We had the choice not to cooperate with the Coroners inquiry ? But we decided to tell the truth out of the spirit of cooperation...
The Coroner just found that the Police ran a sub-standard operation that regularly ignored its own operations manual, ignored safety and allowed an unqualified pilot to conduct passenger op's at night in excess of the duty time limits etc etc.
Maturity was a wake up call minutes after the 310 went in at Newman.
I am sure cover up was considered, however what with a Royal Commission into Police Corruption happening over in the west at the same time.... John you didn't have any choice at all......
If this was a charter operator who killed 4 paying public passengers I have no doubt their AOC would be cancelled for sure and the Chief Pilot and Directors held to account. Every trainee Pilot will bust a gut to fly and it is up to the management to make sure it is safe..
Maybe because the victims were all Police that makes it different.