[Kharon]

P2 – "Hmm...passing strange that "K" agreed on anything that came off Tinbindildo's keyboard/apple device"..

GD –"As for 'K' agreeing with Tid-bin-dildo, that is indeed a rare occurrence!"...... .......

This is correct; it's so very rarely that the pedantic, narrow backed, miserable, misogynistic bugger ever has anything of value to say, I also agreed with his off-sider once.  Just an example of how to play the ball, not the man – why?  Well, weaving their points against in, to support your argument, making it stronger, is fun; along with the added bonus that it annoys the crap out of 'em, makes the temptation irresistible; mea culpa......... Now to business.  I guess we must start with two questions: what the hell is Manning playing at? and, what on earth are the ATSB 'honest vineyard toilers' thinking?

It is becoming farcical to the point where, as said previously, why don't we just hire a technical writer to draft half a dozen pro-forma reports, which can at least be published on time.  When you start deconstructing the pitiful efforts of the ATSB accident reports, that's what they boil down to.  A little bit of ATSB fluffy technical analysis, the summary written by a CASA word weasel, couple of pictures and, job done.   Said it all before – HERE - 

This business at Mildura could have ended in tears, except the gods were benign and the weather was willing to cooperate.  The message was clear- ignore this warning at your own peril.  The NTSB or TSBC would by now have their interim reports and more than likely at least three SR out, for discussion with the agencies concerned.  We get a teddy bears picnic, some happy clappy, tent revival with tambourines at the corporate love in.  The whole thing buried under a pile of used soft white paper and wrapped in time.  This ensures that no one will want to pick up the mess and it will, conveniently, with the passage of time, be forgotten.

The BoM features in too many 'incidents' and need to be brought into the 'accountability' stakes.

Corporate attitudes need retro-modification to realise that the PIC, not the bloody bean counters command the aircraft.  If the BC want to dictate the how a flight is managed, then they should share the responsibility when it all goes pear shaped.   It would help if the HR people could adjust the settings so that pilots who can say NO and are not easily intimidated are hired. 

You see, I am intrigued that the crew of two major carriers could not 'see' that with the forecast conditions, time of year and day that fog was, potentially, on the cards.  Sure the flight was technically 'legal' but, I wonder how many crews did slide an extra 30 minutes for Mum inboard, just to be sure.  Then there is the question of why both flights, with fore knowledge each sailed past viable, fog free alternates.  There are many valid questions which demand answers; but relying on a PC approach is cheap, gutless and of no value to the travelling public.  It is indeed, beyond all reason.

Reason must be restored, ICAO tenets must be restored, but most of all, the ATSB must be restored to being an independent, valuable, productive, fearless defence system for the travelling public.  At present, it is about as much use as my Grand Mama's fat, ancient, toothless, blind, deaf Cocker spaniel trying to yard yearling bullocks. 

The Uriah Heep of aviation safety, inventor of the PC accident investigations cannot be protected, not any longer. The Pel-Air re investigation provides more than enough evidence that this leopard will not change its spots. Unqualified, ignorant, arrogant and operating under top cover is not what the leader of a NTSB should be; but there it sits, smiling.   How in the seven hells it survived the Senate inquiry I'll never know, but there it sits; still smiling for the cameras, dribbling spaghetti sauce.  Well done Minuscle: merde !!  but you can pick 'em.  

The character is notable for his cloying humility, obsequiousness, and insincerity, making frequent references to his own "'humbleness". His name has become synonymous with being a yes man.[1] He is the central antagonist of the latter part of the book. - Wiki.

[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uriah_Heep][/url]

Toot toot. (Half steam).....