Flight transcript: The moment of impact

Like the accident itself, the flight transcript detailing the last moments of flight TE901 is also controversial.

The flight's Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was first transcribed in the United States at Washington's National Transportation Safety Board in December 1979.

But Civil Aviation's report into the crash by Ron Chippindale included a second transcript of the voice data from the flight's CVR,a device which continually records the last 30-odd minutes of conversation between pilots on the flight deck.

According to the Airline Pilots Association (NZALPA), the transcript included in Chippindale's report differed in 55 ways from the version constructed by the Washington-based team.

Chippindale Transcript, for full transcript, click here:

Original Washington transcript, for full transcript, click here:

Former Air NZ pilot Arthur Cooper was nominated by NZALPA to be present at the Washington transcribing as he was familiar with the crew and could identify their voices.

Thirty years on he is baffled as to why the cockpit recording they constructed was never included in Chippindale's report for the Civil Aviations Authority.

Mr Cooper said he believed their transcript was the most accurate representation and takes issue with Mr Chippindale's version.

"We followed the protocol set down by the expert bodies in the world."

Controversially Mr Chippendale's transcript, added to CAA's report after listening to the CVR himself, included the comment: "Bit thick here, eh Bert?" from one of the flight crew. Chippendale's report for the CAA blamed the crew for the crash saying they were flying too low in poor conditions.

But Mr Cooper is sure such a phrase was never spoken."There was no way that Chippindale could have got any more out of the [the recording] that we did."

Crucially, he believes the "Bert" sentence contributes to a growing picture of alarm among the crew - a view he does not hold after listening to the tape.

"There were a whole lot of little subtle changes - every one was indirectly detrimental to the crew."

He maintains that right up until the end, when an automatic recording broadcast "Whoop Whoop. Pull up" there was no alarm in the voices of the crew members.

Along with three other experts, including a representative deputising for Mr Chippindale, the Washington team spent five days transcribing the CVR. Most of this was spent on deciphering the last 10 minutes of the tape when there were a number of noise interferences, such as over-lapping voices and dishes from the galley behind the flight deck.

The team spent days slowly piecing together the crew's conversation, returning to parts they were uncertain about. If there was any conversation they were not 100 percent in agreement about a question mark was left.

"We believe we milked everything out of that tape."

Both versions are similar in the final moments.

Little more than one minute before the moment of impact one of the crew states: "Actually those conditions don't look very good at all".

There is discussion on the flight deck confirming the altitude (1500 feet) and attempts are made to contact the control tower.  

A crew member states "that looks like the edge of Ross Island [site of Mt Erebus] there" (they believed the flight path took them over the Ross Sea).

After an unsuccessful attempt at trying to re-contact the control tower at 0049:24 - just 30 seconds before the crash - a flight deck member responds: "I don't like this."

Five seconds later the captain tells the crew: "We're 26 miles north, we'll have to climb out of this."
The second captain responds: "It's clear on the right and (well) ahead".

Another responds: "You can see (Ross Island) right fine!

The crew further discuss maneuverings before a siren sounds: "Whoop Whoop" at 0049:44, followed by "pull up", this repeats for six seconds as the plane's altitude drops.

The captain says: "Go round power please", just before the moment of impact hits at 0049:50.

FLIGHT TRANSCRIPT CONTROVERSY:

Original Washington transcript, for full transcript, click here:

Brooks: Do you want to swap around while he's commentating?Moloney Commentating? Yep.

***

Mulgrew: There you go, there's some land ahead.

?: Ah.

?: ** North of McMurdo.

Collins: I'll arm the nav again.

Brooks: Are we about up to here now?

Collins: Ah we had a ** message from ah the Wright Valley and they are clear over there.

Mulgrew: Oh good.

Collins: So if you can get us over that way.

Mulgrew: No trouble.

Collins: Right.

Mulgrew: Taylor on the right now.

?: Oh yeah.

Collins: We might have to (drop) down to fifteen hundred here I think.

Cassin: Yeah OK - probably see further in anyway.

Cassin: Not too bad.

Cassin: I see vert speed for fifteen hundred feet.

Moloney ** it's not right.

?: ***

Moloney: Yeah bloody oath.

Moloney: (Spending a very long while on bloody instruments at this (time/height) are you erh.

Brooks: Alt cap.

Mulgrew: Ross Island there.

Moloney: Yeah yeah.

Mulgrew: Erebus should be here.

Cassin: Terrain fifteen hundred.

Chippindale Transcript, for full transcript, click here:

Brooks: Do you want to swap around while he's commentating?

?: ***

Mulgrew: Nothing to commentate on as yet.

Mulgrew: There you go, there's some land ahead.

?: Yep.

?: Where's Mt Erebus?

?: North of McMurdo.

Collins: I'll arm the nav again.

?: Where are we?

Brooks: About up to here now?

Collins: We had a message from the Wright Valley and they are clear over there.

Mulgrew: Oh good.

Collins: So if you can get us over that way.

Mulgrew: No trouble.

Collins: Right.

Mulgrew: The Taylor or the Wright now or do yah?

Collins: No I prefer here first.

Collins: We might have to pop down to fifteen hundred here I think.

Cassin: Yes OK -- probably see further in anyway.

Cassin: It's not too bad.

Cassin: I see vert speed for fifteen hundred feet.

Moloney: ** it's not right.

?: Bit thick here eh Bert?

Moloney: Yeah my .... Oath.

- with The Dominion Post

- © Fairfax NZ News