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021620
MDTTAN 5758
DOWNED AIRCRAFT BY THE SECURITY ORGANS CONCENTRATED EXCLUSIVELY ON THE THEORY THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS AN AMERICAN RC 135, PAYING NO HEED TO RECOVERY OF ANY BODIES. SUBSEQUENT ACTIONS OF THE USSR HAD PREVENTED ANY SUBSTANTIVE ENQUIRY EVEN THOUGH IT HAD BECOME VERY CLEAR VERY QUICKLY THAT A TERRIBLE MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE.
IZVESTIA POINTED OUT THE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE FIGHTER PILOT'S RECOLLECTION OF THE EVENTS AND THE DATA OF THE FLIGHT RECORDER. THE SECURITY SERVICES' FAILURE TO FIND A SINGLE BODY FROM THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT CREDIBLE.
5. IZVESTIA MAINTAINED THE TRAGEDY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF:
A) THE AIR DEFENCE GENERALS HAD NOT OVERREACTED:
B) IF THE FIGHTER PILOT HAD BEEN TRAINED TO OBSERVE CIVILISED NORMS OF INTERNATIONAL BEHAVIOUR, NOT THE PRACTICE OF THE SOVIET AIR
DEFENCE SYSTEM:
C) IF ALL THE SPECIALISTS EMPLOYED BY THE SOVIETS HAD CORRECTLY WORKED OUT WHAT HAD FLOWN INTO THEIR AIRSPACE:
D) IF THE JAPANESE AND AMERICAN RADAR OPERATORS HAD FULFILLED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS (IE WARNED THE FLIGHT THAT IT WAS STRAYING OFF COURSE).
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6. IZVESTIA QUOTED FROM SOME OF THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE ICAO REPORT: SOME OF THE BLAME IS PLACED ON THE KOREAN PILOTS FOR NOT HAVING COMPLETED NAVIGATION PROCEDURES (3.12): THE US RADAR HAD NOT WORKED OUT THE TRUE COURSE OF THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE (3.19): THE USSR HAD DECIDED KAL 007 WAS A SPY PLANE (3.32): THE JAPANESE HAD SEEN THE AIRCRAFT STRAYING ON THEIR MILITARY RADAR BUT SAID NOTHING (3.33). FURTHER QUESTIONS ARE ALSO ASKED WHY THE CREW DID NOT KNOW THAT THEY WERE OFF COURSE, IN SOVIET AIRSPACE AND BEING PURSUED BY SOVIET FIGHTERS. THE FACT THAT THE AUTOPILOT HAD BEEN ENGAGED SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING ANCHORAGE AND WAS ONLY DISENGAGED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SOVIET ATTACK INDICATED THAT THE CREW HAD IGNORED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS, WERE TIRED AND HAD FLOWN TOO OFTEN IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT.
7.
IZVESTIA BELIEVED THAT INFORMATION MAY STILL BE HIDDEN ABOUT THE RECOVERY OF BODIES FROM THE WRECKAGE. IT POINTED OUT THAT RELATIONS WANT TO BURY THEIR DEAD, OR AT LEAST FIND OUT THE TRUTH HOWEVER AWFUL THAT MIGHT BE.
COMMENT
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