asked the Minister for Transport and Power when he will be in a position to state if an RAF aircraft was involved in the Viscount crash off Wexford.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wexford Air Crash.
27.
The hypothesis that the accident which resulted in the loss of the Viscount EI AOM on Sunday 24th March, 1968, might have been caused by another aircraft or missile, manned or unmanned, passing in close proximity to or even colliding with the Viscount was dealt with in paragraph 2.1.4.12 of the report on the investigation of the accident made under the Air Navigation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations 1957. The report was published.
For the Deputy's information the relevant part of the paragraph says:
In considering this very speculative theory attention must be given to a number of matters which discount its credibility.
These include the fact that no aircraft, civil or military, manned or unmanned, were reported or known to have been in the area at the relevant times, nor was any aircraft other than EI AOM reported missing on that day.
The missile and target ranges on the Welsh coast are closed on Sundays, and were known to be inoperative on Sunday, 24th March 1968.
No aircraft carriers were operating in the area.
Can the Minister state if there is any significance in the wreckage brought in recently by a fishing boat in that area?
The wreckage has been examined and I understand it does not give any expectation of a linking of that wreckage with the Viscount crash.
Are the experts satisfied that the wreckage brought in did not belong to the Aer Lingus plane?
The recently obtained wreckage was not part of the Aer Lingus Viscount.
With regard to the wreckage recently recovered, can the Minister state if further tests are being conducted and, if so, if the results will be made public, or has any evidence that might be got from it been obtained already?
I understand some evidence has already been obtained. In fact, I can quote from a note I have which states: "The possibility of further useful technical examinations in this country is at present being explored".