HC,
We agree....and you are correct in that the ambiguity certainly played a role.....but.....an emphatic "but".....the Checklist, the current edition, the approved one, clearly stated "Land Immediately!" The Co-Pilot on two occasions reminded the Captain of that....and sadly did not assert himself as he should have. Why that Crew did follow the Checklist is subject to debate....that they should have is not.
That being said, Sikorsky made effective changes and also instituted an effective Public Relations effort at mending the reputation of the 92. They were effective both in the fixes and the
PR effort and the 92 seems to be over its early troubles.
Now that EC is Air Bus.....perhaps the Air Bus
PR Department will get stuck in and do what they do best.....sell their products despite their own problems such as the Air France Crash.
If Air Bus does not put on a sustained, effective
PR Effort......the Super Puma Family is dead....extinct as the Dodo Bird. Despite the SP Family being similar but different aircraft....the distinction is lost on most of those who ride as Passengers. Most of them can not tell the difference and in reality until this recent spate of ditchings and crashes could care less as they were dependable and reasonably safe rides to work.
The same Mob mentality killed the Chinook.....unless Air Bus gets its head out of its hind end.....that is going to be the fate of the SP. They might find a job in the USA and Australia fighting fires or perhaps logging but who ever owns them now is going to take a real hosing when they try to sell them. Perhaps the RAF might buy them.... as the MAA seems very loosely run from what we are hearing in the Military Aircrew Forum.