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This led to his report being severely criticised by both Air New Zealand and the then Prime Minister. More controversially, however, the Judge went on to find that witnesses from Air New Zealand had conspired to give false evidence to his inquiry. Instead, he found that the dominant and effective cause of the accident was the airline's actions in reprogramming the aircraft's navigation system without advising the aircrew. Justice Mahon rejected pilot error as the cause of the disaster. The second report, the product of a Royal Commission of Inquiry presided over by a High Court Judge, Justice Mahon, was presented to the Governor-General on 16 April 1981.

I know this finding magnified the grief of many families, particularly devastating the families of the pilots. It concluded that the 'probable cause' of the disaster was pilot error. The first, by the Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, Mr Ron Chippendale, was published on 12 June 1980. I don't need to tell all of you that the accident we are marking today was the subject of two official reports. Today, of all days, I hope we can say the things that should have been said. While today is a day for reflection, I feel we will serve you poorly if we don't recognise what has stood in the way, for so many years, of you all having the space to grieve, to mourn and to reflect on the lives of your family members. It was undeniably worsened by the events that followed. It sent ripples across the country, and trauma that those who weren't directly affected would probably struggle to fathom. Let me pause to acknowledge the enormity of that loss, and the effect it has had on the lives of the families – and also on the lives of those who took part in Operation Overdue. 257 people died on the slopes of Mt Erebus on 28 November 1979, 40 years ago today. And time hasn't necessarily diminished any of that.

Today I want to speak in explicit recognition of the fact that in 1979 so much was lost and the ramifications were immense. Thank you for all that you said then, and for your messages afterwards. In a year that has seen new tragedy for New Zealand, and for New Zealand families, your eloquence last year at the Dalmatian Cultural Centre has stayed with me. It is twelve months since I last met with many of you, and I feel privileged to be in your presence again on an occasion that is so deeply personal for so many.