Sarcs # 465 –"Perhaps the Coroner and SC Anderson would be interested in how the ATSB listed this accident on PG 6 of the ATSB weekly summary w/e 05/09/2008 (my bold):"
This is what I was trying to get at, by asking where does the Coroner start and finish?
It's naughty that the ATSB is (quite legally) ducking and weaving it's ICAO obligations; it probably cost a fortune to have our unique 'exemptions' drafted and accepted, but is sorting this, or any of the other let's call them 'investigative anomalies' a job for the Coroner ??......
The Coroner is probably aware of the chronology; in 2007 Vaughan was not messing about, there was a strong push against Hempel (Notice to Cancel.etc.). Johns, in 2008 was also serious, but somehow the problems melted away and Hempel was essentially turned loose and managed to gain a lot more latitude than many other similar cases received on a lot less factual, tested evidence. Why? remains a mystery. This should, I imagine, be important to a Coroner. If BH had been 'stopped cold' then, perhaps the event may not have occurred.
Technically, this was a simple, bread and butter investigation. Why did it become an epic, 'stadium spectacular' with a cast of thousands? Do the maths, there was more money spent involving up to 20 CASA and who knows how many ATSB to deny that that the event is in any way significant; certainly more than the cost of a fairly straight forward 'barge lift' of the wreck. It troubles me that there was a lot more spent avoiding the 'issues' than a routine investigation by CASA and ATSB would have ever cost. But again, is this for the Coroner??. I imagine it would be if the 'aviation investigation', such as it was, has been compromised.
The Coroner and a couple of the Counsel seem to pointed in the right direction, despite the 'sotto voce' distractions. The QPS were thanked by the Coroner, his comments on the rest are still in abeyance.