In the 2009 inquiry report, Cole determined that Burnett was following the approach and challenge procedures for an 'innocent' vessel, instead of a 'suspicious' one. The other case called for "Sydney" to stand off at and order the merchantman to stop or be fired upon. Despite the list of ships scheduled to be in the area, Cole believes that Burnett's previous experiences with inaccurate shipping lists caused him to think of "Straat Malakka"s unexplained presence as a clerical error. The actions that Olson describes as indicating suspicion are also considered by Cole, who believed that by the time these came into play, "Sydney" would already be at a disadvantage.