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WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1992
PROCEDURES DRAWN UP TO HANDLE AIRCRAFT CRASH
PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP TO ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE EMERGENCY FACILITIES WILL BE PROVIDED TO DEAL WITH AN AIRCRAFT CRASH ANYWHERE IN HONG KONG.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR ROBERT WILSON, WHEN REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY PROF THE HON FELICE LIEH MAK IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WEDNESDAY).
MR WILSON SAID THE PROCEDURES TOGETHER WITH THE DETAILS OF HOW AND WHERE EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES COULD BE REQUISITIONED AND DEPLOYED DURING SUCH AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WERE CONTAINED IN A COMPREHENSIVE CONTINGENCY PLAN.
THE SECRETARY SAID THE CONTINGENCY PLAN HAD RECENTLY BEEN REVIEWED AND A REVISED VERSION WAS ISSUED IN MARCH THIS YEAR.
"THE PLAN SETS OUT THE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER BODIES WHICH MAY BE REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH SUCH AN EMERGENCY; THESE ARE, PRIMARILY, THE MEDICAL SERVICES, THE FIRE SERVICES AND THE POLICE, HE SAID.
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MR WILSON SAID IT ALSO INCLUDED A DETAILED LIST OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
THESE INCLUDED LAND TRANSPORT AND RECOVERY VEHICLES, AIR AND MARINE TRANSPORT, DIVERS AND DIVING EQUIPMENT, LIFTING AND CUTTING EQUIPMENT, FLOODLIGHTING, BEDDING AND STRETCHERS AND SO ON.
"EXERCISES ARE HELD PERIODICALLY TO ENSURE ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEIR ROLES AND THE PROCEDURES CONCERNED," HE ADDED.
HE SAID DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS, THERE WAS ONE "NEAR MISS" INCIDENT INVOLVING TWO HELICOPTERS NOT IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT.
STATISTICS IN RELATION TO MISSED APPROACHES ARE THAT IN 1989 THERE WERE 192; IN 1990, 175; AND IN 1991, 213.
AS REGARDS AIRCRAFT WHICH EXPERIENCED SOME FORM OF ENGINE TROUBLE APPROACHING OR DURING LANDING AT KAI TAK OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE STATISTICS WERE 14 IN 1989, 22 IN 1990 AND 18 IN 1991.
RECORDS RELEVANT TO AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCING ENGINE TROUBLE ON TAKE-OFF FROM KAI TAK RELATED ONLY ΤΟ THOSE AIRCRAFT WHICH WERE OBLIGED TO TURN BACK TO KAI TAK AS A RESULT; STATISTICS SHOWED 18 IN 1989, 16 IN 1990 AND 17 IN 1991.
MR WILSON SAID THESE STATISTICS NEEDED TO BE SEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FACT THAT OVER THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ANNUAL AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS GREW FROM ABOUT 94,000 TO 110,000.
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