Prospector said
Perhaps the video's produced by NZALPA , and the Mahon report, influenced many people until they actually have first hand knowledge of how the system works.
It certainly did in my case. There was so much about the Mahon the report that was believable to the general public with little or no aviation knowledge.
His writings about the computer track being changed, descriptions of whiteout and romanticised writings of Collins and his infallabilty made us all feel like aviation experts. And the big company trying to shaft the little guy, the government guy (Chippindale) being a ponderous, ex- military buffoon with no appreciation of how modern aircraft functioned....... enter Vette with his *brilliant* psychological insights......Collins's lovely family..... you couldn't write better stuff.
The truth however, which has been very well described in this thread - was quite a bit more complex, and nowhere near as romantic. And, as patronising as it sounds, you do actually need a fair bit of aviation knowledge - even experience - to appreciate it, and put all the factors into the correct perspective.