I normally like to see some of the responsibility of the crash go to the PinC when discussing Erebus for all the oft discussed reasons, but to completely exclude the operating culture of the time is as bad as to try to completely exonerate the Captain of his responsibility. There will never be agreement on where the responsibility lies because people naturally like to lump it all in one place ( like you are doing PH6) when that is not how life works. There were serious decision making errors yes, but he wasn't operating in a vacuum, he was operating inan era and as a part of a particular culture when those errors were made. Peoples views will change with time as well. As a young turbo prop Captain I put the blame 90/10 on Collins. Now as a more experienced and older jet Captain I put it at about 70/30 on Collins......when I retire will it be 50/50? I doubt it but I wouldn't rule it out.
Thanks framer. Yes, the company and culture were far from perfect either. But where people become confused is in failing to differentiate between direct causal errors and those that were only significant in the presence of a unique set of circumstances.
Here's what I mean. Air New Zealand
- probably should not have gone into the sightseeing business in the first place
- should have trained and briefed their pilots properly, and unambiguously
- should not have made a series of errors with the high altitude flight plan
- should not have removed the requirement for one person on the flight deck to have flown in Antarctica before.
But here's the thing. While these things may have contributed, not one of these factors on their own would you expect to cause an accident. But flying an aircraft in marginal visual conditions at 1500' in an unfamiliar mountainous area? Absolutely!