Thanks
Thanks to you, PPRuNe Radar, for putting this sad topic at the top of the tree; I'm very grateful for the kindness and I know that Spot and all his friends will be too.
This fiasco is important to us all, civil and military. Spot and his family are up against it, big-time, but it could so easily have been you, me or anyone else reading this forum. Like you, I've been around long enough to recognise and acknowledge that everyone, without exception, makes mistakes; there's even a civil ATSIN (16 OR 17?) on the subject. Yet this man is being crucified and ostracised by an employer that's looking for a scapegoat, yet doesn't have the courage to admit that Spot has been let down by his managers. Not surprisingly, there are many side-issues in this case and I doubt that any will see the light of day; were they to be aired, RAF ATC would be seen for what it is, a bunch of extremely dedicated and professional controllers being let down by some of its own management.
It still stinks and I am still extremely angry that the RAF should prosecute one individual, when it is clear that there was a great deal wrong with the system within which he was working. Yes, things have changed as a direct result of this accident; doesn't that in itself speak volumes? But I do have to ask, why is it Spot that's in the dock, facing a prison sentence, and not his managers ?