"First principles, Clarice. Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature?"
There are at least two relatively sane (or they were when their troubles started) pilots who, for various reasons are not operating in their normal capacity: Dom James and John Quadrio. Neither of these chaps had anything but a clean record from day one, but DJ is still slugging away, trying to exercise the privileges of a legitimate ATPL against a foot high stack of manufactured administrative embuggerance. JQ is still grounded, based against the flimsiest of evidence, which, if rumour is true, can and will be destroyed. DJ has had his Senate days; JQ should, if there is any justice in the world. Yet Hempel, with a rap sheet the length of the New Testament, sails serenely off into the aerobatic sunset despite the best efforts of some good men. I, for one would like to know why.
It won't happen, but there is a good case under sections 50 and 50A of the Qld Coroners Act for this whole mess to be re opened. The best argument for this I have seen was written (or signed at least) by non other than Harvey, (there is whiff of voodoo therein) entitled Written Submission of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Now why CASA should present a document which brilliantly points out the many shortcomings, holes and limitations of the Coroner's findings is beyond my humble powers.
Probably, I should not even have read this remarkable document; but I have (Willyleaks). The document explains, for me at least, why the retrieval of the aircraft was steadfastly denied. Without the aircraft the possible causes for the accident cannot be 'properly' and forensically eliminated. This leaves a sizeable element of doubt, a very handy thing in a situation where the 'rules of evidence' apply. Should the aircraft have been retrieved, then many of the answers would have been provided, leaving a much shorter list of probable cause. Holmes, as usual says it much more succinctly than I can.
"How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?".