HC Deb 14 May 1991 vol 191 cc115-6W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the CAA to conclude its investigation of the near miss between an aircraft and a missile, reported by the captain of an Alitalia flight on 21 April; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Patrick McLoughlin

The statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority.

This incident was initially reported to the CAA under its mandatory occurrence reporting scheme and has not been reported by the pilot or the operating company as an "airmiss". The investigation is continuing but the technical facts which have been established indicate that the object sighted was almost certainly not a missile.

I have drawn the hon. Member's question to the attention of the Civil Aviation Authority and will ask it to write to him direct when its investigations are concluded.