Erebus Report Finally Recognised
Almost 20 years after New Zealand's worst air disaster, the
report into its
cause written by the late Justice Mahon
has been given official recognition by
Transport Minister
Maurice Williamson, who tabled it in Parliament
today.
Justice Mahon led a one man Royal Commission of
Inquiry into the disaster, but
because his report was
never tabled in Parliament, the report of the Office
of
Air Accident Investigations has been the sole official
account.
"Today is one of the proudest days of my life.
Although the time for pointing
blame has passed, I
believe it's time we formally acknowledge the debt we
owe
Justice Mahon and one way of doing this is to give
his report the recognition it
deserves," said Mr
Williamson.
"On November 28 it will be 20 years since
flight 901 flew into the side of a
mountain many of us
had never heard of before - Erebus. I think I'm right
in
saying that none of us will ever forget where we were
when we heard the news: a
DC10 missing with 257 people
aboard."
"In recalling that day, I would like to
acknowledge the presence in the house
today of three
women whose lives were changed forever by the Erebus
disaster,"
said Mr Williamson.
"Mrs Maria Collins and
Mrs Anne Cassin, the widows of pilot Jim Collins
and
co-pilot Greg Cassin, and Mrs Margarita Mahon, the
widow of Justice Mahon.
"Justice Mahon was vilified by
some but to me he was one of New Zealand's true
heroes.
His report stands as a major contribution to our aviation
history and
deserves official recognition," said Mr
Williamson.
"Some people may say why bother after all this
time. I have no better
explanation than this: 'Those who
can not remember the past are condemned to
repeat
it'."
Mr Williamson said the Mahon report broke new ground
in New Zealand and
internationally.
"What it showed was
that an accident sequence was like someone slipping down
a
knotted rope. The pilot's decision may be the last knot
in the rope, but there
are many other events which set up
the accident sequence."
The International Civil Aviation
Organisation cites the report as pioneering in
its
recognition of systematic accident investigation.
"It says
the Mahon Report was 10 years ahead of its time and also
says that
subsequent high technology systems catastrophes
such as Chenobyl need not have
happened if the
international safety community had grasped the lessons
from
Erebus and adopted its prevention lessons," said Mr
Williamson.
"I'm very honoured to have helped give Justice
Mahon's report the recognition
it
deserves."
ENDS