500
GRS 235
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
HKR 184/1
502
INED IN REONGI NO. 19 NOV 1979
:OISTH
on Take
FM HONG KONG 161134Z NOV 79
TO FRIORITY F C C
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1622 OF 16 NOVEMBER
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP ICAO MONTREAL, WASHINGTON, BANGKOK, PARIS, BONN, ROME.
INFO SAVING HANOI.
REKING TELNO 992 TO FCO: CAAC NOTAM 19 AND AMBER ONE.
1. YOU MAY WISH TO KNOW OF UNUSUAL ACTIVITY, PRESUMABLY BY CHINESE AIRCRAFT, OBSERVED TODAY IN THE HONG KONG FLIGHT INFORMATION REGION. EIGHT AIRCRAFT (OR TIGHT FORMATIONS OF AIRCRAFT) ENTERED HONG KONG CONTROLLED AIRSPACE AT APPROXIMATELY
120 NAUTICAL MILES WEST-SOUTH-WEST OF HONG KONG AND PROCEEDED IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION TOWARDS THE PARACEL ISLANDS. THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED FROM HONG KONG RADAR COVERAGE AT A RANGE OF
220 NAUTICAL MILES STILL TRACKING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AND MAINTAINING A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 500 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY
ONE HOUR LATER A SIMILAR NUMBER OF TARGETS REAPPEARED ON RADAR AT A RANGE OF 220 NAUTICAL MILES WEST-SOUTH-WEST OF HONG KONG AND OUTSIDE THE HONG KONG FIR. THE FLEW ON A NORTH-NORTH- EAST TRACK INTO CHINA WITHOUT ENTERING HONG KONG AIRSPACE.
2. THE POINTS OF LEAVING AND ENTERING OUR RADAR COVERAGE INDICATE
THAT THE AIRCRAFT WERE AT AN ALTITUDE OF NOT LESS THAN 19,000
FEET.
3. IT IS NORMAL PRACTICE FOR THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO NOTIFY HONG KONG AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OF FLIGHTS BY THEIR AIRCRAFT INTO
HONG KONG CONTROLLED AIRSPACE. IN THIS CASE NO NOTIFICATION WAS GIVEN AND, IN ANSWER TO OUR QUERIES, GUANGZHOU CIVIL AVIATION
AUTHORITIES ADVISED THAT THEY HAD QUOTE NO INFORMATION UNQUOTE.
FCC PLEASE PASS SAVING HANOI
CATER
FILGS
HK-GD
MAGD
SEAD
FGD EID
FED
WED
MR FRET Wst
NA MULLAY HA FULGUISON WORD NG WEHNOL
(REPEATED AS REQUESTED)
NAMD MISS BROWN CONFIDENTIAL
Copies TO:
MA WAINWRIGHT CA A
AVIATION House: