Airline to defend staff integrity

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 3

Airline to defend staff integrity

P A. „ Auckland Air New Zealand will challenge sections of the Roval «° mn ? ls sj On re P° rt on *" Mount Erebus disaster that deal W it h attacks on the integrity of some of its top management, and allegations of suppressing, mislaying, or destroying of evidence. The de P ut y chairman of the board. Mr Des Dalgety, said yesterday: “I cannot see a tittle of evidence to support a pre-determined plan. “I have asked counsel to direct me to any evidence to support that allegation and they have been unable to do

But Air New Zealand is not thought likely to challenge in the High Court the 10 factors that Mr Justice Mahon found responsible for the crash that claimed 257 lives. After listing these 10 points, Mr Justice Mahon said neither Captain Jim Collins, First Officer Greg Cassin, nor any of the flight engineers were responsible for any of the errors leading to tty? crash. But the airline is intent on clearing the names of its management, said Mr Dalgety, who is the chairman of a special crash sub-commit-tee set up days after the tragedy. Mr Dalgety said that the terms of the airlines proceedings to the court "are directed to the allegation of a pre-determined plan to deceive the commission, which led to what Mr Justice Mahon called 'an orchestrated litany of lies'.” Asked his reaction to the Royal Commission report, Mr Dalgety said: "On the integrity thing, total shock.

But in terms of criticism in other areas, such as the coordinates — no.” The airline board would meet again today after which it would release details of what it would take to the court.

The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) yesterday attacked “vultures" trying to stampede Air New Zealand into taking action which would destory the careers and reputations of its most senior and long-serving management. “Air New Zealand is not a corpse yet." he said.

The chairman of the board of Air New Zealand (Mr C. W. Mace) announced after a sitting of the board that the airline would ask for a High Court review of the findings.

Mr Justice Mahon, who conducted the long Royal Commission of Inquiry, handed down a stinging attack on Air New Zealand in his report this week, blaming the airline for the crash. He exonerated the crew of the DCIO which slammed into Mount Erebus on November 28, 1979, killing all 257 people aboard. The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents (Mr Ron Chippindale) said last year in his report of the crash that pilot error was the main cause of the disaster. Asked to whom he attributed blame for the Antarctic crash. Mr Mace said: "We'll leave that until we get into the inquiry (in court).” In London yesterday. Mr Chippindale, who is in England to attend a two-month course for accident investigators, starting next week, declined comment until he had read the judge's report.

However, he said that he did not as yet see any rason to change the conclusions in his own earlier report on the crash. The Labour Party’s spokesman on Justice. Mr'F. D. O’Flynn, said in Wellington last night that the police would have to consider charging Air new Zealand with manslaughter because of the findings of the Mount Erebus crash. Mr Justice Mahon disagreed with two of Mr Chippindale's main findings. He regarded as untenable the inspector's finding that there was no evidence that the crew were misled by the change in the DClO's flight plan.

And he considered that the crew had no doubts they were over McMurdo Sound, disagreeing with Mr Chippindale’s finding that they were uncertain of the aircraft’s position.

Mr Chippindale told NZPA: “It’s a case of reading the whole Royal Commisson report in context and seeing how the judge arrives at those conclusions. How he has reasoned from what he heard I don't know at this stage." He had consistently said he would not comment on the report until he had read it. Mr Chipppindale said. “The Royal Commission did not offer to make a copy available to me before it was published, and the matter is so serious I don't want to make any comment.” he said.

“I haven't given any interviews and I have consistently said I would not make any comment until I had read the report.”