Air inspector returns from crash inquiry

Press, 4 February 1987, Page 30

Air inspector returns from crash inquiry

PA Wellington The chief inspector of air accidents, Mr Ron Chippindale, has returned from southern Africa, where he took part in an inquiry into the crash which last year killed Mozambique’s President, Samora Machel. President Machel died on October 20 when his Soviet-built jet crashed in South Africa.

Mr Chippindale was invited by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (1.C.A.0.) to assist the Mozambique inquiry in an advisory role. He joined a Finn and a

Canadian early in November on a three-person 1.C.A.0. team in Mozambique. Back at work this week, Mr Chippindaie said his job had been to help with the preliminary factfinding inquiries. He said that under 1.C.A.0. regulations, the country of manufacture (the Soviet Union), the country of registry (Mozambique) and the country of occurrence (South Africa) were entitled to make their own investigations. Eventually, with the help of the international

team, the facts of the accident had been agreed upon between the three parties, he said. A document outlining the facts had then been used as the basis for a public judicial inquiry, held in South Africa. As the judicial inquiry has not yet finished, Mr Chippindale ■ would not comment on the findings of the preliminary investigations. He said it was up to the public inquiry to make statements on the cause of the crash.