White, who took over as mine manager in June 2010, took the stand yesterday at the third phase of the inquiry.

White faced some gruelling questioning under cross-examination from lawyer Simon Mount, who was trying to establish if White had gone back to send emails regarding other means of employment after becoming aware there was something wrong at the mine.

The commission was presented with two emails sent from White on the day of the explosion.

One was at 4:02pm with the subject: “Solid Energy. Robbie can you call me back now if possible?”

White said he was aware Solid Energy was interested in hiring him. The other email was sent at 4:03pm to a recruitment agency explaining he was now free to talk.

According to timing from the power outage, the mine exploded at 3:45pm.

Under questioning from Mount, White said he was contacted by Daniel Duggan in the control room at around 3:50pm who said all communications had been lost to the mine and the power was out.

White said he then went outside and became aware of an unusual smell resembling that of gunpowder.

White only went down to the mine entrance at 4:16pm when he checked the communication system, prompting Mount to question why he had went back to his office to send emails despite knowing at 3:50pm there were tell-tale signs of something wrong at the mine.

“Just in terms of trying to understand that sequence, the potential conflict is that we have Mr Ridl on the portal camera at 4.03, at the same time as you’re clearly in your office sending emails, suggesting that it seems entirely possible that you must’ve returned to your office to send those emails,” Mount said.

In defence, White said he had no idea something so serious had happened while he was sending emails.

“At the time I sent those emails I'd absolutely no idea at all there was a major incident at the mine,” White said.

White’s lawyer John Haigh also defended White following Mount’s questioning.

“This is the man who has been primarily concerned about safety in the mine, to leave it on the basis that somehow rather he's ignoring a potential catastrophe and firing off emails to get a job is not a reality,” he said.

Earlier in the day the commission heard White had been searching for another job just five days before the mine exploded because of a fall out with management.

White had emailed Garry McCure on November 14 in relation to a position he went for in Australia, but had later decided to turn the position down.

The email titled “I won't be a scapegoat” read:

“Garry I need you to be on the lookout for another position for me. The decision to stay at Pike may well have backfired … In the last two days I have seen the true colours of senior leadership here and I don't like what I have seen.”

White said he turned down the position in Australia because he wanted to direct his energy into making Pike River a “success”

However this soon changed after he was blamed by the mine’s then chief executive officer Peter Whittall for Pike River Coal’s share price dropping almost seven cents.

White said he had taken a group of stockbrokers underground and they were asking a lot of questions about the hydro monitor.

“I indicated to them that it could be performing better, that we were having issues of the hardness of the coal but we were working through that,” he said.

White said he was merely being honest and felt he didn’t deserve the accusation made by Whittall.

When White checked the figures for himself, he found the share price had fallen 3c the day before the stockbrokers had visited and dropped 3c the day after.

“So the shares were well and truly on the slide long before I even said anything.”

Earlier in the day White was questioned about hiring George Mason to the position of hydro-mining coordinator.

White had employed Mason despite him not having any experience with the extraction technique.

White said Mason had more than 30 years experience in the mining industry and he believed there were people at Pike River who had adequate hydro experience to assist Mason into the role.

White is also assisting the police with their inquiry and was requested by his lawyer not to answer a number of questions throughout the day to avoid incrimination.