asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether the findings of the inquiry into the Aer Turas Wayfarer crash at Dublin Airport are yet complete; and whether they will be published.
5.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Inquiries into Air Crashes
4.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power whether the findings of the inquiry into the crash of an Aer Lingus Viscount at Ashbourne, County Meath, are yet complete; and whether they will be published.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
The Inspectors of Accidents appointed to carry out the preliminary investigations in these cases have not yet completed their investigations and the question of the publication of the findings cannot be determined until their reports have been received. It is probable, however, that the reports will be published.
Can the Minister state how long this inquiry has been at work as a result of these crashes?
The tragic accident at Ashbourne took place on June 22nd and the other one took place on June 12th.
Is the Minister aware that in view of the poor record of charter companies at airports elsewhere, it would be in the interests of public safety that the report of the crash in relation to the charter company Aer Turas—as he knows, in that crash, the aircraft very narrowly missed the oil storage installation at Dublin Airport—should be presented with all possible speed?
As the Deputy knows, inquiries of this kind everywhere, in the US and here, are immensely prolonged, due to the technical examination of pieces of aircraft which very often have to be sent back to the manufacturers for consideration by them. Then it has to be studied and assessed. I hope the reports will be received as soon as they can be but all these inquiries take a certain amount of time.
The second crash took place on a training flight—is any thought being given to changing training procedure?
The Deputy may take it that certain changes have taken place which I would not be in a position to mention now.
These will be mentioned in the Report.
Yes.
And that will be published?
Yes.