Minister defends airport’s safety

Press, 20 February 1979, Page 3

Minister defends airport’s safety

PA Wellington The two Zodiac rubber dinghies used at the fatal Air New Zealand Friendship crash at Auckland on Saturday were all that were required for rescue purposes under the International Civil Aviation Organisation safety requirements, said the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan) last evening. Auckland Airport’s hovercraft, which had been out of service for some time for an overhaul, was additional to international safety requirements, he said. Asked if one rubber dinghy would have been sufficient to meet the requirements, Mr McLachlan said: “I couldn’t answer that.” He had been asked for details of the international rescue requirements for the airport, but said that he did not have them. However, Mr McLachlan emphasised that, at the time of the accident, Auckland Airport met and continued to meet the organisation’s rigid requirements.

He said that he had been given the assurance by the Ministry of Transport and by Air New Zealand. The assurance was repeated yesterday by the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon). “If at any time and for whatever reason equipment and personnel are unable to meet those standards, the airport is closed for aircraft movements,” Mr Muldoon said. “The airport was complying with the required standards when an Air New Zealand Friendship aircraft crashed while approaching the airport on Saturday. “I make this statement in the interests of reassuring members of the travelling

public.” The “Auckland Star” reported yesterday that crash firemen had one Zodiac dinghy immediately. available when the Friendship hit the water. It said that the outboard motor in the other dinghy was unserviceable, but a new one was found and the second dinghy launched. These dinghies were not meant for rescuing passenbers but for vetting rescue equipment to a downed aircraft, the report said. Mr McLachlan said that he did not know what rescue equipment the dinghies were carrying; he had asked for a report on why one dinghy’s engine was not working. He said that he had ”received only “sketchy” reports on the accident, but a full inquiry was being made.

The airport’s air traffic control and radar equipment had been checked and were working normally at the time, he said. Mr McLachlan, asked if checks had been made at other New Zealand airports to ensure their rescue equipment was working properly, isaid: “It should be working

all the time. I haven’t checked it out.” When he was asked if > there were any differences 1 between the international ■ safety requirements at Auckland Airport and the require- • ments at other such airports ; as Wellington, Mr McLach- ) lan said: “I don’t know. : You are getting into details.” Told that Wellington Airport had a Hamilton jet res- ■ cue launch as well as ding--1 hies, Mr McLachlan said: “It ' has never been put to me : that they should have jet ; boats in Auckland.” He said that he had rei ceived no requests for addi- ; tional rescue equipment at ; Auckland.

The “Black box” containing information on all the control movements of the Friendship until the moment it hit the water has been salvaged. The Deputy-Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, Captain J. Leech, will fly to Melbourne with the black box today, where it will be examined by the Australian Ministry of Transport Air Safety Investigation Branch. The Auckland Regional Authority airport committee was yesterday negotiating to have a helicopter permanently on standby in case of future emergencies.