Sir, - Dermot Walsh (January 27th) wrongly assumes from the outset that Aer Lingus has stated that it did not open or maintain a file on the Tuskar Rock accident. Let me put the record straight. Aer Lingus did open and continues to hold open to this day a file on the accident. It remains open because the reason for the accident has not been established. On the basis of his wrong opening assumption, Mr Walsh goes on to make various points which are incorrect.
All relevant documentation which was in the possession of Aer Lingus was provided to the Inspector of Accidents and contributed substantially to the final official report of the Department of Transport and Power published in 1970.
The test flight to which Mr Walsh refers was arranged and flown from Dublin by Aer Lingus using an Aer Lingus Viscount under the command of an Aer Lingus captain. This was arranged at the request of the Inspector of Accidents, Mr R. W. Sullivan, who was also on board, as was a test pilot from the British Aircraft Corporation. All the evidence gained from that test flight was examined by the inspector and he states clearly in his final report that the two defects to which Mr Walsh refers did not in any way initiate the accident.
Immediately after the accident, all of the maintenance records for the aircraft and all of the crew records were handed over by Aer Lingus to the Inspector of Accidents. This was then, and still is today, a legal requirement. These records were examined in great detail and, as can be seen in the final official report, the aircraft was found to be in every respect airworthy. It also states that the crew were properly qualified, trained and sufficiently rested before duty.
The official report published by the Department of Transport and Power in 1970 is the only report which has been written after all of the available evidence has been examined. This is the body charged with the investigation and preparation of a report under the Air Navigation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations 1957. There is no written final report in Aer Lingus. To draw a conclusion from this that no file was opened or maintained on the accident is wrong. It is equally wrong to infer that Aer Lingus was or is less than fully committed to establishing the cause of the accident. The reality is that to date no new evidence has come to light that can help establish the cause.
In the interests of safety the pilots, engineers, cabin crew, administrative staff and management of Aer Lingus in 1968 and now have a very real interest in knowing what event caused the accident.
Since the reason for the accident has not been established Aer Lingus must and does keep an open mind as to the cause of this tragic event. - Yours, etc., Capt Donal Foley, Director of Technical Operations, Aer Lingus,
Dublin Airport.