asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will sate in relation to the Viscount aircraft which crashed off the Wexford coast in 1968 (1) the proportion of it recovered in 1968 and this year, (2) the cost of the recovery operations, (3) whether any investigations of the parts recovered have been carried out and (4) what conclusions have been arrived at.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fatal Air Crash.
60.
(1) The proportions of the aircraft recovered in 1968 and 1969 were about 60 per cent and 5 per cent by weight respectively.
(2) It is estimated that the ultimate cost when finalised will be of the order of £170,000.
(3) Detailed technical investigation of the recovered wreckage has been carried out by teams of experts and is continuing.
(4) Until the preliminary investigation has been completed it is not possible to arrive at definite conclusions
Could the Minister give any indication as to when the report will be available?
Trawling operations were carried out during August and September of this year and further wreckage was recovered. I would hope to have the report within the next three months.
I appreciate that the winter months are ahead but is it intended to try to recover the rest of the plane?
The investigations which were carried out during the summer and autumn of this year have not taken the matter very far.