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transmissions were unanswered. After 18:30 hours further unsuccessful attempts were made on HF and VHF to establish communications with KE 007 as well as through relay by KE 015.
1.9.6
1.9.6.1
Communications between ground stations
Communications related to KE 007 took place between Tokyo ACC and Anchorage ARTCC and between Sapporo and Khabarovsk ACCs, using direct speech, and between Anchorage/Tokyo, Anchorage/Seoul, Tokyo/Seoul, Tokyo/Moskva and Tokyo/Khabarovsk
communication centres using AFTN circuits. All of these circuits were operating satisfactorily.
1.9.6.2
Communications related to the transfer of control of KE 007 from Anchorage ARTCC to Tokyo ACC and co-ordination data for the transfer of control at NIPPI were exchanged between the two centres at 16:12 hours.
1.10
Air traffic services
1.10.1
Airspace organization
1.10.1.1 The flight from Anchorage to Seoul was planned along J501, R20 and Oceanic Transit Route (OTR) 1, then to cross Japan and the Sea of Japan. The route was situated within Anchorage, Anchorage Oceanic, Tokyo and Taegu FIRS. Route 1501 connected Anchorage with BETHEL, the first reporting point of R20. The latter route was the northernmost of the five-route North Pacific (NOPAC) composite route system.
1.10.1.2 The NOPAC composite route system within the Tokyo and Anchorage FIRs was established with effect from 18 March 1982 and consisted of five routes: R20, R80, A90, R91 and G44. Routes R20 and R80 were used for westbound flights. On R20 the compulsory reporting points were: BETHEL, NABIE, NEEVA, NIPPI, NOKKA, NOHO and NANAC; the non-compulsory reporting points were: NUKKS, NINNO and NYTIM.
1.10.2
ATS units and air-ground control radio stations
1.10.2.1
Within the Anchorage and Anchorage Oceanic FIRS. KE 007 was provided with ATC service by Anchorage CD/TWR, APP and Anchorage ARTCC. In ICAO terminology the Anchorage ARTCC would be described as a combined area control centre/oceanic area control centre (ACC/OAC).
1.10.2.2 The Anchorage ARTCC maintained two-way VHF radio communications with aircraft under its control through RCAG facilities at Kenai, Bethel, St. Paul and Shemya. Outside the coverage of these RCAGs, air-ground communications were handled on HF by Anchorage flight service station/international flight service station (FSS/IFSS) using the call sign "Anchorage Radio".
1.10.2.3
In Anchorage ATC, because of the light traffic at night, the flight data, clearance delivery and ground control position were combined; the aerodrome control and the approach control positions were also combined. During the time that KE 007 was controlled by Anchorage ARTCC, it was successively under control of combined radar sectors 5 and 6 (RD 5/6), combined non-radar sectors 2 and 3 (D 2/3) and oceanic (non-radar) sectors 10 and 11 (D 10/11).