Special Hearings — Helderberg Flight Special Hearing — 1998-06-01

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: I think the company went such a way to find this out there, it's one of the reasons that amaze me.  I'm not part of intrigue and politics or anything like that at all but why when aeroplanes crash and people get killed, that's my line, I'm a pilot.   We went to incredible depths, four kilometres to pull this out there and we did it.  The purpose of that was to find out why the aeroplane crashed.  We fought with Boeing, we fought with Rene van Zyl to find out why the aeroplane went and we worked together on the process and to this day we still don't know.

DR KLATZOW: Did you in that process of your insatiable curiosity ever bother to listen to the ZUR tape or did you simply accept the assurance that it was irrelevant because nobody had written anything in the log?

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Sir, you might call me dumb but I just accepted it on face value that there was nothing there, so you probably think me dumb, I ...[intervention]

DR KLATZOW: I just want to tell you one last thing, do you know a man called du Toit, Captain Charl du Toit?

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Yes.

DR KLATZOW: He told Rene van Zyl a different version, so we've got enough versions here to really make a Hobson's choice.   He told Rene van Zyl that he'd listened to the tape and there was nothing on it.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Did he?

DR KLATZOW: Yes.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: I don't know that.

DR KLATZOW: Well I'm telling you that's what he said.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: I don't know that.

DR KLATZOW: So we have a whole series of versions about what happened to this tape but the one thing is certain.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Yes.

DR KLATZOW: It disappeared shortly after leaving your hands, never to reappear.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Really?  I don't see it like that.  It went to DCA.

DR KLATZOW: It didn't go to DCA Captain Mitchell, we've been through that ad nauseam but thank you for your participation.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: Captain Mitchell, it remains for me to thank you too.  It's probably been a harrowing day for you.  We would like to conclude if no-one else has anymore questions.  Thank you very much for coming.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Thank you.  I'm sorry ...[inaudible] I'm sorry that I seem to have got tongue tied and got things crossed over.  My pure intent is to get the exact truth right over to you because I am as keen as everybody if this inquiry comes open I'm the first to be in line to assist you.  So, thank you and I hope it was helpful.  I hope you can make use of this important statement that I made on the baseline of your assumption that the ZUR tapes had something because this is ...[indistinct]

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: Okay.
 Miss Terreblanche, do you have more witnesses for today?

MS TERREBLANCHE: No more witnesses for today.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: Thank you.

MS TERREBLANCHE: We'd just like to suggest that before Mr Mitchell goes - I'm also tired, that he just hands over the evidence to the Chairperson.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: Is that in order Mr Mitchell?

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: No, certainly.  With your permission, may I show Doctor Klatzow the process that I've gone through so that he can see my logic that I've put in there or is that not in order?

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: Well that will be done off the record then.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Yes, okay.  It's just so that he sees the logics, the way I put it in, so when he phones me again on tape then I can tell him what I'm talking about.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: We just want to put it on the record that it is the Commission's file.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Okay.

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: We will then resume tomorrow morning at 09H30, thank you.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Madam, a question, are you finished with me or do I come back tomorrow morning at 09H30?

GLENDA WILDSCHUT: Thank you, we're finished with you, you can go and have a good sleep.

MICHAEL PETER MITCHELL: Thank you.
WITNESS EXCUSED
HEARING ADJOURNS