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DURING ITS FINAL APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY. A SUDDEN MARKED DETERIORATION IN VISIBILITY CAUSED BY HEAVY RAIN WAS PROBABLY ALSO
A FACTOR.
6. ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO FINAL CONCLUSION ON THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE REPORT CONTAINS CRITICISMS OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PROCEDURES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND OF CAAC'S IN-FLIGHT SAFETY PROCEDURES. AS A RESULT, A NUMBER OF SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE IN THE REPORT. MOST HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED, BOTH BY CAAC AND BY CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT.
7. IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE, REPRESENTATIVES OF CAAC WERE INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE INVESTIGATION AS OBSERVERS. DURING THAT TIME THEY NEITHER QUERIED NOR QUESTIONED THE FINDINGS OF THE INVESTIGATION. SINCE COMPLETION OF THE REPORT, HOWEVER, DCA HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CAAC COMMENTING ON ONE RELATIVELY MINOR ASPECT OF THE REPORT'S WORDING AND SEEKING CONSULTATIONS PRIOR TO ITS PUBLICATION. DCA WILL REPLY TO THE EFFECT THAT IT IS NOT LEGALLY POSSIBLE FOR THE REPORT TO BE AMENDED AFTER IT HAS BEEN FINALISED. HE WILL AGREE THAT DISCUSSIONS ON THE HANDLING OF PUBLIC REACTION TO THE REPORT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
PUBLICATION
8. THERE HAS RECENTLY BEEN A GOOD DEAL OF SPECULATION IN THE LOCAL MEDIA ABOUT THE REPORT'S CONTENTS. SOME PRESS STORIES HAVE ATTRIBUTED BLAME TO FAULTY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PROCEDURES: OTHERS TO THE FACT THAT THERE WERE TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THE PLANE'S FLIGHT DECK DURING LANDING. IN RELATION TO THE LATTER POINT, THE REPORT CONFIRMS THAT ONE MEMBER OF THE FLIGHT CREW CAPPARENTLY THERE AS AN OBSERVER) WAS SEATED ON AN UNRESTRAINED STOOL DURING THE LANDING.
9. THE DATE FOR PUBLICATION HAS NOT YET BEEN FIXED. WE INTEND TO PROCEED WITH THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE MEETING WITH CAAC. I SHALL GIVE YOU THE DATE OF PUBLICATION AS SOON AS IT IS DECIDED. MEANWHILE A COPY OF THE FULL REPORT FOLLOWS BY BAG.
WILSON
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0 8 AUG 1990
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INFO PRIORITY PEKING
166360
MDLIAN 7438
PERSONAL FOR MARSDEN, HKD, FROM GOVERNOR
PEKING PERSONAL FOR CHARGE
ACCIDENT REPORT ON OCTOBER 1988 CRASH
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN REFERENCE IN THE HONG KONG AND UK PRESS (E.G. SUNDAY INDEPENDENT OF 15 JULY) TO ME DELAYING A DECISION ON WHETHER TO PUBLISH THE ACCIDENT REPORT ON THE CRASH OF A CAAC AIRLINER IN OCTOBER 1988. YOU MAY WISH TO KNOW THAT THE REPORT HAS NOT IN FACT REACHED ME YET, ALTHOUGH IT IS LIKELY TO DO SO IN THE
NEXT FEW DAYS.
WILSON
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