Sir, - Akin to the White Star Line failing to keep a file on the Titanic is the Aer Lingus statement to Mrs Mary O'Rourke that the national airline did not open or maintain a file on the biggest air accident in its history, when the Viscount St Phelim crashed near Tuskar Rock in March, 1968 (The Irish Times, January 19th).
Is Aer Lingus seriously asking the Minister and the public to believe that it did not carry out any investigation of its own, that it did not correspond with the families of the crew or with its insurers, or that no written reports were submitted to the airline from the "Operation Tuskar" search and salvage operation?
But there are even more serious reasons why a file on the tragedy must have existed in Aer Lingus. As my book Tragedy at Tuskar Rock (Mercier Press, 1983) recounted from the official Department of Transport accident investigation and appendices, the examination of the St Phelim wreckage revealed two defects in the aircraft.
It was discovered during tests on what is called the spring tab pre-tension on the rudder torque tube of the plane that "an incorrect spring had been fitted and one of a lower rate". In addition, the investigation showed a defect in the plane's auto-pilot which was considered by the investigation team to have been present for the 18 months that the Viscount was in the livery of Aer Lingus.
Both defects were meticulously and exhaustively checked out, with the Air Accident Investigator going so far as to arrange a simulation of the auto-pilot defect in an actual flight by a test pilot in the UK, which ruled out the defect as a cause of the disaster. Equally, the fitting of the incorrect spring was also ruled out.
Is Aer Lingus seriously now asking the Minister and public to believe that when two defects were found in the recovered parts of the plane, and even though the official Investigation checked the maintenance records of the airline, nonetheless Aer Lingus did not hold an internal investigation of its own, nor discipline any staff, nor lay down revised or updated guidelines for future maintenance and aircraft checks?
Little wonder that suspicions keep floating up from the depths where the Viscount crashed, when the State airline involved denies that any files were compiled, but in Britain - where any involvement in the cause of the crash is steadfastly denied - a file was kept, but was then shredded. - Yours, etc., Dermot Walsh,
Ennis Road, Limerick.