EIAOM.....Flight reconstruction
The International Team had a difficult job....if they believed the Shannon ATC records then they would have had to conclude that the flight crew diverted from the flight plan and send two ficticious messages....."Level at 17000ft".. and... "By Bannow"... I suppose it would be totally unreal to accept that a passenger aircraft would divert from original flight plan without informing ATC and proceed on a "touristic flight" as mentioned in the Study. It is noted that the solicitor acting for the Operational Controller who was on duty on the 24th of March 1968 at Shannon wrote to Kevin Humphries, Chief Accident Investigator AAIU, on the 22nd January 2002 with the following comment:
"We have been instructed to state that our client rejects the contents of the draft report in so far as it contradicts his own statement and the certified transcripts of the tapes".
The Study concluded that EIAOM when over the Old Parish area interrupted its "climbing and dived into a spin" and appeared to be "attempting to go back to Cork". The Team of experts seemed to have missed that at this time a Herald aircraft was inbound to Cork and would have been flying approx 4000 ft lower then EIAOM.
Last edited by 383656; 4th Apr 2008 at 13:33.
Reason: Spelling