the captain is finally and totally responsible for the safe flight operation"
Not if there are external issues contributing to the safe flight operation. (basic Human Factors) As Mahon,Vette, et al found out, by discovering the "incompetent administrative airline procedures", only Captain God could have prevented the Erebus disaster.
I think it has to be appreciated and acknowledged that the Honorable Justice Peter Mahon, during this Royal Commission of Inquiry, wouldn’t be bribed, bought or lied to and refused to have his integrity compromised. His relentless energy and enthusiasm to seek factual evidence of the causal factor(s) of this accident was testament to his ethos of respect and common decency to all parties touched by this tragedy. Unlike Air NZ management and the NZ government, Mahon never pointed the finger at any one person who caused the accident. He stated it was “......the
incompetent, administrative airline procedures which made the mistake possible.” Mahon and Vette were well ahead of their time when it came to the correct protocol and understanding of Human Factors in this accident.
Justice Mahon’s final report was balanced, based on fact, truth and impartiality. The findings were well respected and unbiased. However, they were never going to sit well with Morrie Davis and Robert Muldoon, so they set out to discredit them and Peter Mahon. The Erebus Inquiry had to absolve Air New Zealand and the NZ Government of any blame in the accident no matter what it took.
Enter the Privy Council of the U.K. – the self appointed custodian of Royal Commissions in the colonies. The appeal to have Mahon’s finding overturned was farcical but predictable. It wasn’t sufficient just to declare the findings, not politically correct and overturn them within, they had to try and discredit Justice Mahon as well. Those who don’t believe that, may also believe, that one can pick up a piece of sh!t by the clean end.
There was a huge backlash and it took 21 years, but, in 2004, appeals to the Privy Council were abolished in NZ. Now the only avenue for appealing decisions/findings for Commission Inquiries is the Supreme Court of NZ.