MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1985
AIR ACCIDENT REPORT PUBLISHED
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THE FACT THAT CERTAIN OIL SEALS HAD NOT BEEN INSTALLED BEFORE THE FLIGHT WAS THE CAUSE OF AN INCIDENT WHEN A CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS B747 AIRCRAFT CAPTAIN WAS OBLIGED TO SHUT DOWN TWO ENGINES DURING ITS FLIGHT. IT IS STATED IN A REPORT TO BE PUBLISHED TOMORROW (TUESDAY).
THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON A CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS FLIGHT FROM HONG KONG TO PORT MORESBY ON JULY 12, 1983. ABOUT 50 MINUTES AFTER THE FLIGHT LEFT HONG KONG, THE CAPTAIN WAS OBLIGED TO SHUT DOWN TWO
THE AIRCRAFT OF THE FOUR ENGINES BECAUSE OF LOSS OF LUBRICATING OIL. RETURNED TO HONG KONG AND LANDED SAFELY.
A GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT HAS REVEALED THAT AN INSTALLATION ERROR WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOSS OF OIL. BEFORE THE FLIGHT MINOR MAINTENANCE WORK WAS CARRIED OUT ON THE TWO ENGINES TO REPLACE CERTAIN PROBES WHICH PROTRUDE INTO THE OIL CIRCULATION SYSTEM. UNFORTUNATELY THE REPLACEMENT PROBES WERE INSTALLED IN THE ENGINES WITHOUT OIL SEALING RINGS BEING FITTED. TO THEM, THESE BEING NECESSARY TO PREVENT LOSS OF OIL WHEN THE ENGINES ARE RUNNING, WITH THE RESULT THAT THE OIL LEAKED AWAY IN FLIGHT.
THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER, ROLLS-ROYCE LIMITED, IS MAKING AVAILABLE TO OPERATORS A REDESIGNED PROBE WHICH SHOULD CONSIDERABLY REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF MAINTENANCE ERRORS.
GROUND
THE REPORT IS ENTITLED +REPORT ON THE ACCIDENT TO BOEING B747 VR-HKG BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE PHILIPPINES ON JULY 12, 1983+ AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALES CENTRE FLOOR, GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL, HONG KONG AT HK$32.
NEW CROSS-HARBOUR SERVICES APPROVED
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THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT HAS APPROVED IN PRINCIPLE THE EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF TWO NEW CROSS-HARBOUR BUS ROUTES -- ROUTE 109 FROM HO MAN TIN TO CENTRAL AND ROUTE 107 FROM ABERDEEN TO SAN PO KONG.
THE TWO ROUTES WOULD BE OFFERED FOR JOINT OPERATION BY THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY (CMB) AND THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY (KMB).
/A DEPARTMENT