P377, thank you for your comments. I believe that there are many who share the blame for this particular crash, however, the principle ones are dead with the only ones left being the CASA personnel responsible for the oversight of the companies concerned and those from Aero Tropics.
Aero Tropics had a duty of care to their clients to ensure that 3rd party contractors were up to standard. I believe they manifestly failed in that duty of care as the stories of Transair's woeful performance were publicly known prior to the Lockhart River crash.
I am currently in the process of changing occupations from operations to administrative with an emphasis on safety management. As a pilot I firmly believed that safety started with me. I was the first line in ensuring that my passengers arrived safely and if I did not think that was probable on the day for whatever reason it was my responsibility to cancel or delay the flight until it was. I still believe that to be true. As a safety manager I can assist that process but I can't ensure it. CASA are very much in the same position so long as they do their job properly.
The regulatory shortcoming revealed by the investigation into the Lockhart River crash should be addressed because it prevents CASA from doing their job. Hopefully the need for CASA intervention is lessening with cowboy operators falling by the wayside with their antics causing clients to go elsewhere. But CASA is necessary to get them out of business where they exist. If there was illegality in dealings between the regulator and the companies concerned with Lockhart River then as a matter of public policy they should be prosecuted if the evidence is there.
In summary, if there was illegal behaviour on the part of CASA employees and it can be proven then prosecute. If you can't do that then stop howling for blood, its only noise. Aero Tropics is no longer in operation and as far as I'm aware any action against the principles could only be a civil action and I doubt there's any money to be had. Again pointless. The main thrust should be to ensure it never happens again rather than some pointless desire to use the court system as a means of revenge.