McMurdo Station but deliberately set out to conceal the change from the
American personnel there. The motive for the 1979 change ascribed by the
Commissioner to the navigation section appears to be that they
considered that the New Zealand Civil Aviation Division had only
approved a route over Mount Erebus, yet at the same time that the
American 'authorities' would object to that route, regarding the route
down the Sound as safer. In short the theory (if we understand it
correctly) is that the navigation section were in a dilemma as there was
no route approved by all concerned.

Beyond argument, it would seem, there was slipshod work within the
airline in the making of the change and the failure to expressly notify
flight crews. But the allegations of deliberate concealment and a
concocted story are another matter. The complaint is that they were
never put squarely to the members of the navigation section. The
Commissioner himself did put to the chief navigator, Mr Hewitt, that
'Someone may suggest before the inquiry is over' that the word 'McMurdo'
was relayed to McMurdo to conceal a long-standing error in the
co-ordinates. Mr Hewitt replied 'Certainly not, sir' and there, the
applicants point out, the matter was left, without further questions to
witnesses by anyone or any reference in counsel's final submissions.

On the other hand Mr Baragwanath urged in substance that the witnesses
from the navigation section must have understood that their evidence was
under suspicion; that they had ample opportunities to explain how and
why any mistakes occurred; and that it was for the Commissioner to
assess their explanations, taking into account any impressions they made
on him individually as witnesses.