3. Documents or papers that may have been shredded by Mr Oldfield following the decision of the in-house committee which met during
the week beginning 3rd December 1979—This matter requires no further discussion.
4. Pages within the cover of a ring-binder notebook of Captain Collins—This matter too was handled by Captain Crosbie. However, it requires some specific mention because in paragraph 352 it has been associated with Captain Gemmell and as all counsel now acknowledge this has been done in error. The paragraph is one of the specific paragraphs challenged by these proceedings.
5. Briefing or other flight documents (including a New Zealand Atlas) taken onto the aircraft within Captain Collins' flight bag; and similar papers within a flight bag owned by First Officer Cassin—This matter also requires discussion.
The Ring-binder Notebook
The Commissioner found that Captain Collins carried with him on the fatal flight a small pocket diary usually kept in his breast pocket; and a ring-binder losse-leaf notebook carried in his flight bag. It is said in paragraph 351 "that the chief inspector had obtained possession of the small pocket diary, but it did not contain any particulars relating to Antarctica flights". At the hearing Mrs Collins described the diary and said that on 12th December 1979 Captain Crosbie had returned it to her together with certain other items of personal property belonging to her husband. She explained that there were no pages in the ring-binder when she received it "other than some loose papers which are still folded inside the front cover". The question arose as to what had happened, to the balance of the contents of the notebook. Captain Crosbie himself was called by counsel for the Airline Pilots Association to give evidence before the Commission. He explained that his involvement in all post-accident matters was as a welfare officer for the association; and in that capacity he had been given by the police personal property for distribution to next-of-kin. When asked about pages which normally would have been within the ring-binder covers he said that most of the recovered items had been damaged considerably by water and kerosene, and in answer to the Commissioner, who had asked "How could the ring-binder cover itself be intact and yet the pad of writing paper disappear?", he said, "I suggest the cover survived the water and kerosene but the paper contents didn't". He added in answer to questions by counsel—
"If papers were removed from the ring binder who would have done that.... I would have myself I presume.
Do you recall doing that.... No not specifically. I was involved in destroying a lot of papers that were damaged and would have caused distress some because of that and some because it was the obvious thing to do."
As a further sample of the kind of material that might have been provided by the criticized officers had they been given the opportunity we were referred to a signed statement by Captain Crosbie forwarded to the police (who by then were investigating the allegations of conspiracy) on 5th May 1981. In the statement he has said after he had given evidence before the Inquiry he recalled that because of the poor condition of the notebook and severely damaged paper inside it and "rather than present this to Mrs Collins" he had disposed of the pages himself. Then having cleaned the cover
he dried it in the sun and returned it to Mrs Collins. It would seem to be an understandable reaction although once again the effect this kind of material might have had if it had been put forward is not for us to assess. In any event, concerning this matter the Commissioner said in paragraph 352—