HC Deb 08 December 1993 vol 234 cc284-5W
Mr. McFall

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what access the joint airmiss working group had to the recordings of radio communication between the RAF Buchan air defence radar unit and the RAF Tornado involved in an aircraft proximity hazard incident with an Air UK BAe 146 aircraft off Fife on 22 October 1992, for the purposes of their investigation into that incident.

Mr. Hanley

The joint airmiss working group did not investigate this incident, which was reported under the parallel aircraft proximity hazard—APHAZ—scheme. APHAZ reports are investigated initially by the Civil Aviation Authority and analysed by an independent body of aviation, civil and military specialists known as the joint APHAZ assessment panel—JAAP. In this case, the JAAP had no access to the radio recordings or transcripts from RAF Buchan since these were classified. The JAAP did, however, receive reports from RAF Buchan and RAF Leuchars, the home base of the Tornado aircraft involved in the incident.