Jingle – It's not just Ziggy doing it the hard way though is it? What about the passengers who survived the ditching; I hear the patient/husband team have almost gone broke, the wife still requiring psychiatric and medical care, the husband not in good shape. Now I can't verify any of this yet, it's just the way I understand it; happy to be hopelessly wrong. The insurance company which carries their medical insurance, the package including 'medivac' transport (i.e. the insurer arranged and paid for the flight), does not and is not required to insure them against flight risk (prang). It seems that some very old clauses from the 1929 'law' (statute?) mean that for medical evacuation flight – there is no coverage and so no compensation in the event of a prang. (Chances of survival rated at near zero).
It all seems very complex and 'legal' but apparently the Department (MM) has been aware of this 'black hole' for a very long while. There have been many attempts to have the law changed and this insurance company get out of jail free card removed from play, but no action has been taken. While the insurer has probably acted within 'the law', which is fine, this is of small comfort to the people who's lives have been so drastically altered, through no fault of their own; except perhaps by not reading the fine print on an insurance policy. Ziggy's research into the matter is truly awesome (well done), lets hope that with better health we see a more concise appraisal from her, of how exactly the much vaunted Australian safety system let these innocent, trusting folks down so very badly.
It's a sad indictment though; Pel Air slip through the CASA safety net, the insurance company through the legal net and to add insult to injury, the ATSB bypass the nets altogether and fail to produce any one thing toward preventing a similar event. Every protection we believe we have, rendered null and void. Right down to the life jackets; and even they failed this hapless group in time of need.
But, don't worry, newly minted safety 'experts' are on the job. Who knows, perhaps when enough platitudes have been uttered, and when the newly learned 'safety speak' words have assuaged the disturbed masses; and, enough newly published educational material has been distributed, all will be well; until the next time...
"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned," W. Congreve.
Selah..