Erebus 25 years on

[PapaHotel6]

Moderators don't take long to sort out who the trolls are

Nor should they. But if that comment is directed at myself, I resent it.

To exonerate Collins from responsibility, as Mahon did, it is necessary to believe:

- that his descent from high altitude through a hole in the cloud in a region known to contain a 13,000' mountain, using only the (assumed) high altitude flight plan to verify his position was justifiable;

- that he was truly in VMC conditions all the way down to and including 1500';

- that the requirement not to descend below 16000' MSA until south of Erebus was in fact not real;

- that he was psychologically tricked by whiteout and "saw" a clear, normal horizon stretching out in front of him all the time up until impact;

- that he maintained appropriate situational awareness in the last stages of flight, in spite of failing to establish VHF comms and several comments from other crew members about High ground/Erebus/don't like this etc.;

- that it was appropriate to descend from 2000' to 1500' when good conditions were not apparent at 2000'.

I personally reject every one of the above points.