MEMORANDUM TO PRESIDENT FROM VP-GA

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02145406
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 31
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2020
• Case Number: F-2015-00256
• Publication Date: September 15, 1964

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S. �
410
C ONFI ENT1AL
TO
FROM
SUBJECT:
President
VP�GA
MEMORANDUM
DATE: 15 September 1964
REF. No. vpGA...64_050
REVD WAS � S E P 2 2 1964
The subject of the 8908 crash appeared prominently in all the local papers
once more on the morning after MGDRIs departure, through the submittal by
the two members of the Control Yuan who were delegated to investigate the
B908 accident of their draft proposal to a full session of Control Yuan.
The meeting actually took place on the 10th, but due to a premature press
release the newspaper stories were published in advance on the same morning.
The indiscretion by one of the two munbers to whom the leak was readily
traced caused quite a commotion at the meeting which nearly led to a re�
jection of the draft. You have no doubt seen by now an accurate translation
of the full text of the draft in its original form, which touched on a
number of questions quite unrelated to the subject of the accident. When
the meeting eventually quieted down the meeting passed the "proposal" in
principle but conditional on a revision to be made to its wording. I might
explain here that the term "proposal" used here represents one of three
courses of official action, the mildest one, which the Control Yuan is
empowered by the Constitution to take against the executive branch of the
Government. The official name of this action is "Proposal of Corrective
Measures", the other two courses being the Censure and the Impeachment.
The agency concerned of the executive branch of the Government in receipt
of a Proposal of Corrective Measures is obligated to report back within a
specified period on what actions have been taken and normally the matter
is then closed. In this case the object of any "corrective measures" to
be taken by CAA and/or MOC is of course CATCL, and probably AACL as well.
How the "proposal" will be finally worded and what actions CAA/WC will
take remain to be seen. The one point of importance is that the cause of
crash is generally agreed in the Control Yuan to be the conclusion given
in CAA's "Salient Points" � improper maintenance and pilot error. The
eight words in Chinese expressing this have by now become an idiomatic
expression. It is eloquent, rhythmical, and quite catching.
I might mention that Mr. Y. C. Chen, CATCL Director, telephoned MB on the
morning of the 10th to enquire what official action the Company had taken
since the consultation the management had with him and Dr. Twanmoh on the
24th of last month, and seemed quite surprised and upset when told that no
action had been taken.
At this point I think it may be useful to review the developments which have
taken place here during the past month and attempt an assessment on the way
matters stand now and how they will probably develop in the future within
the range of predictability. In undertaking this, I an responsible for
stating what events have happened or are known to me to have happened, but
as to what will happen later, any assessment I make is of course subject to
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MEMORANDUM
TO
FROM
SUBJECT:
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DATE:
REF. No.
errors in judgement. In any case I am not trying any more to influence
you or MGDR in making decisions which are only yours or his to make as
to what to do or what not to do in the best interests of the companies.
1. The letter proposed to be addressed to CAA (actually meant for the
Legislative YuanIs consumption) and its attachments were ready for
issue about the 20th of August, Its issue is still being withheld,
I understand pending MGDRIs final clearance.
2. Admiral Stump had his talk with the top couple here on August 24th,
exactly 10 days after his arrival in Taipei. He gave an oral pre-
sentation on what, in his personal opinion, might have been the
circumstances leading to the B908 crash. I understand that (1) the
couple were not startled, (2) she made some cryptic remark about
CATts failure to defend itself, and (3) he thought it would be
difficult for the CAA findings to be retracted.
The full Accident Investigation Report has been finalized after
several processes ct edit and revision made between Minister Shen
and Col. Lai personally. Nothing is knomnof its contents but it
may be safely assumed that they will be consistent with the "Salient
Points". However we learn privately that the Minister is hesitant
about releasing it, has locked it up personally, and rather hopes
to keep it locked up, unless pressure forces the Ministryls hands.
The impression prevailing among lessor MCC officials is that he is
withholding the release out of consideration Air CAT.
Mr. Grundy attended a conference with General Chen Ta-Ching, Commander-
in-Chief of the Taiwan Garrison General Headquarters, on August 31st.
Owing to poor interpretation, a failing recognized by both sides, the
exchange of views was not clearly expressed. Mr. Grundy noted however
that, contrary to CIDts attitude, General Chen did not consider the
case of the air crash, in its security aspect, as closed, and suggested
that an exchange of concrete opinions might be useful. Mr. Grundy
also remembers hearing some mention of a tripartite conference being
considered advisable TGGH-CAA-CAT, but Dr. Cheng, the other CAT official
invited to the meeting, does not seem to have heard this.
5., The Control Yuan meeting, mentioned earlier herein, took place on
Sept. 10.
6. The Legislative Yuan which is currently in recess is scheduled to start
its new biannual seseion on Sept. 18th. It has already been agreed
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IP) �
MEMORANDUM
TO
FROM
SUBJECT:
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DATE:
REF. No.
� among the convenors of the Communications Committee that among
the first things the Committee will do is to address separate
demands to MOO for the. full Accident Investigation Report on
B908 and to CAT, following up a mailgram already sent us in July,
for submittal of its information, arid data concerning the accident.
A time limit will probably be set this time. The Committee esti-
mates that the subject of the CAT Air crash will be taken up by
the plenary session of the Legislative Yuan some time in October..
- As to:what the.course of the Company's action should be, the immediate question'
before us Which calls for a timely and positive decision one way or the other
is whether it should send its paper to, CAA, with 'copies to the Communications
Committee of the Legislative Yuan and TOGH, and of course. MOO. It must be �
borne in mind that up to now the Company has made no statement of its own
anywhere or any time on the subject of the air crash or its related subjects.
If the letter to CAA is sent will be the first time the. Company takes a
� position in its own defense. As things are developing, the last week of this
month may well. be the last propitious and effective opportunity for making .
a stand. Our silence, .during the initial period of clamor and confusion,
.was a sign of reserve and dignity.' Now that' the Company has been:wantonly
charged with the responsibility, at least a moral one, of the loss of. 0 ..
lives and the case is coming to a close in the eyes of the public, a' permanent
silence will be taken as a sign of surrender and self-reproachment. '
� A. If the decision is positive, in which case' steps must be taken
in advance to see that the Company's statement is not suppressed,
abridged, or tampered with, appropriate letters to the Legislative
Yuan and TGGR must be sent'at the same time:
1, On the good side:
a. The need to set the� record straight on general principles
is fulfilled.
. . The Company's name is Cleared of the shadow of guilt for
57 deaths, Its image is improved in the conscious
and subconscioUs minds of the public. Respect is restored.
There is nothing more damaging than.a.subconscious pre- .
judice whiCh knows no bounds in range and directions
� against everything one does or is associated with. :.The
� terms of the draft Proposal of Corrective Measures serve
as a typical example.
� c. The CAA and MOO, with whom We must live peacefully, will
not like our presentation, but in the long run our relations
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TO
FROM
SUBJECT :
MEMORANDUM �
DATE:
REF. No.
with them will probably be healthier than otherwise.
What is happening now is that CAA set off the open
season for CAT to begin with, but instead of regretting
it Col. Lai himself is getting into the spirit of the
chase. I an told he has sent a number of proposals ,
to MCC for corrective measures of his own making and
� is still thinking up new ones every now and then.
No doubt some of these proposals will make you cringe.
This prejudice might in time spread to other areas in
� the Government. . -
It is good for the employees themselves and a good
antidose against an exaggerated picture prevailing
in some quarters of the state of their morale.
On the bad side:
Assuming that a leak will occur from the Legislative
Yuan, it may not go down so well with ,the security
authorities. What the repercussions may be it is
impossible for me to foretell. I take it that this
is the one predominant consideration which concerns
US all. It no doubt outweighs many other pros and cons
which seem to be of secondary importance alongside, but
are we sure it outweighs everything which the case
involves?
b. The Government itself might find it embarrassing inter�
nationally, although the embarrassment could be avoided
if the hand was played right.
If the decision is negative, in which case the Company will be forced
to tell the Legislature either that it chooses not to furnish the data
demanded or that there are no data to furnish:
1. On the good side:
a. Time will slowly cure our wounds and, as things often go
in this community, people in time will forget all about
the affair. Except for the recent Control Yuan story and
no doubt more publicity to come when the Legislative Yuan
takes up the subject next month, the 13908 affair itself
is becoming unnewsworthy.
b. The CAA and MCC may in time become easier to live with
once more although in the first year or two their attitude
will be that of a dutiful parent who having spanked an
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MEMORANDUM
TO
FROM � :
SUBJECT:
DATE:
REF. No.
unlovable child enough times, is showing forgiveness,
and tolerance.
c. The security authorities will stay friendly.
On the bad side:
Continued silence on our part, which up to now has been
complete, will be interpreted as an admission of the
charges of bad maintenance and pilot incompetency, not
mentioning the fatal consequences. Unless something quite
unexpected turns up to rectify the gross injustice, it may
well become a permanent stigma we will have to learn to
bear and like.
Any little incident the least unfavorable to CAT, with
the right amount of garnishments, will be newsworthy in
the local press, and probably be frowned upon by the
Government as well, The .indignity of the tax raid may
well be a case in point.
At the very top of the Government, the impression may be
that Admiral Stump has been made a dupe of by Air Asials
management, making wild allegations which cannot be
supported by evidence. This may be quite damaging to his
-personal prestige, and in turn to Air Asia.
It will be easier than ever before for our competitors
(not confined to Chinese) to take bites or nibbles at us
when it comes to routes, traffic rights, and other business
'advantages. This may gp on indefinitely so long as there
are our shrewd adversaries about, ever ready to seize an oppor-
tunity offering, while CAA is always willing to oblige.
In the meantime, the paper we have prepared but not released has in many respects
become out of date. To meet the requirements in paper work and, what is more
important, time, I have brought it up to date and in doing so have� rubbed off
a few corners to further minimize hurt feelings. See copies enclosed. My pre-,
liminary impression of the resultant document is that our stand seems stronger
in justification but our approach is more objective, but I don't know if yours
is the same. You mentioned a desire to make some improvements on the attach-
ments. While I heartily agree with whatever improvements that can be made, I
must remind you that they must be accomplished in time. My estimate is that the
latest day for all papers to be readied is September 25. To miss the deadline
,this time will be as final as missing the last trans-Pacific plane.
.H. K. YUAN �
Encls, as stated
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DRAFT PETITION
,TO : Civil Aeronautics Administration
FROM : Civil Air Transport Company Limited
SUBJECT : CONFIDENTIAL
� 1. On the subject of the crash of this Company's aircraft B908 on
2 June 20th last, the Communications Committee of the Legislative Yuan sent us
a letter telegram on July 27th last instructing us to submit, under, confidential
4 cover, and in specified number of copies, all data we have, without concealment,
5 pertinent to the accident in question. We have not as yet complied with these
6 instructions for several reasons. First, we feel that the graveness of this
7 painful subject calls for the maximum degree of caution in its study and complete
,objectivity of viewpoint in the search for truth, which were hardly possible
9 during the months closely following the accident because of the public excitement
10 which prevailed. Secondly, it was by MOCts order that this Companyls responsible
11 personnel went to the meetings of the Communications Committee of the Legislative
12� Yuan as subordinates to the Minister to meet interpellation requirements. At
13 the 8th meeting of that Committee held on July 15, we found that the reports
14 . rendered by the authorities concerned were not in complete agreement with the
1.5 information and data we had collected from accessible sources, and for this
16 reason a reservation was made by the Company, the primary purpose being to point
3.7
out that in the Company's opinion the conclusions made from the crash investiga-
tions were of doubtful validity inasmuch as the true cause of the accident had
19 not yet been found. We feel that since our air transport business is conducted
20 under the supervision of and in al, respects in compliance with the directions of
21 your Administration, so that even on occasions that we address the Ministry of
Communications we do so only via your Administration and seldom direct, it does not
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seem proper that:we should commwaicate with the Legislative Yuan direct in this
2 particular instance. Thirdly,' we have been welting patiently to read the official
3 Investigations Report compiled by the Investigation Board with the hope of gaining
4 a fuller knowledge of the official, findings than that imparted under the cryptic
5 Salient Points of Investigations released by the 'bard on July 15th.. From rour
6 Notification No. FBI-AN-4-53-04795 dated August 4 we have respectfully noted ,
7, that a copy of the report will be furnished us in due course, but as yet we have
a
not, received it.
� 9 Be that as it may, we have operated commercial air services in Taiwan
10 for well'over 10 years without a previous accident, and have held a safety record
11 known all over the world. This record has now been shattered by this most de
.12 plorable disaster In which the aircraft Was completely destroyed and .over 50
13 passengers plus a number of experienced personnel, net their untimely death. The
14 public has been shocked by it and the Company has been the target of severe
15 criticism from all directions; while the Company itself has suffered, tangibly
16 and intangibly, not counting the loss of the aircraft inestimable damages from �
. 17 which it will never fully recover. In view of the seriousness of this catastrophe;
18 one which has been made the conspicuous object of nation-wide attention, the
-19 responsibility for its occurrence is naturally the one question of topmost
20 importance. We feel that So long as any information or data exist, every effort
21 should be made to conduct thorough investigations and careful research on them,
, 22 and should continue unceasingly, until the responsibility can, be established from
23 truth to be uncovered freithem. :lolling this;we should never be at peace. with.
24 -ourselves and our conscience would forever mail in shame at the mere thought of
25 those who so tragically lost their lives. For these considerations, therefore;
i 26 we reel at the same time that whatever knowledge we have and whatever data we
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I hold cannot be mutely-withheld or lightly discarded.
2
In the meantime, we have now received a further dated
3 from the Communications Committee of the Legislative Yuan reading as
4 follows:
ft
it
� 6 :This latest instruction from the ,Committee places us in a very difficult position',
7 While we should still like indeed to wait for a thorough perusal of the Investisa-;.
8 tien Report in pursuing our careful study of the subject in all its aspects, we
9 Cannot disregard the terms of this second instruction from the highest legislative
10 body of the Government. Being thus caught in an awkward dilemme,ye now address
11 this petition to you, with the requisite number of additional copies, and request
12 your early consideration and prompt action4
13 2.'" Immediately after the occurrence of the accident, your Administration
14 promptly acted under the regulations HANDLING OF ACCIDENTS OF CIVIL AIXRACT�
1 15 conducted investigations, assisted by experts invited from abroad, and convened
w. 16 an Investigation Board Meeting which worked day and night to accomplish its
; 17 mission. We were deeply impressed by the earnestness and sense of responsibility
18 demonstrated by activities. Because the Company itself was the party most
19 directly and most deeply concerned with the subject under investigation, we on
20 our part felt ourselves duty�bound to make extensive inquiries and to collect
2 21 whatever information it was in our power to obtain pertinent to the subject, to
) 22 serve as reference material for what it was worth. Notwithstanding our motivation
L 23 and intent, however, we did not feel that such information as we had collected
2 24 and compiled offered positive proof of the real cause of the accident. For this
?. 25 reason, we have maintained a complete silence and made no public announcements,
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1
and even at the Communications Committee meetings of the Legislative Yuan, at
2 which some unrelated facts were reported by us in response to interpellations�
3
4
we still refrained from fully divulging all that we knew in order not to introduce
controversial issues. We further felt that, since Article No. 9 in the regulations
5.� HANDLING OF ACCIDENT OF CIVIL AIRCRAFT clearly provides for the owner; or operator,
6-or agent of the aircraft,,and flight crew and ground maintenance personnel concerned;
pv to participate in the Investigation Board Meeting, this then was a proper place
8 and the proper �Cession for the Company to make a full presentation of the facts
9 in its possession, and there was no need to discuss the subject with other parties.
10 However, when the Company., on being notified, sent 3 responsible, delegates to the.
11
Investigation Board Meeting convened on July 14, these delegates were unexpectedly
12, denied admission, and it was not until representations were made based on the
13
14
15
16
regulations HANDLING OF ACCIDENTS OF CIVIL AIRCRAFT,' that only one was permitted
to attend. Having gained admission, he was then isolated from other participants
as if in the role of. an observer only, and there was no opportunity for him to
fully express the Company's views as an active member of the Board. The other, two
le delegates waited in attendance without, and when they were successively called in
18 for brief interrogations, it was only to respond to some cursory questions raised
29 at random, none of which had muCh bearing on the cause of the accident under
20 investigation. Thus the Company's delegates found no opportunity to submit the
. 21 information and data they had prepared and brought along to the meeting, which
22 to this day are still being kept undisclosed.
23.� 3. According to universal practice, the one purpose of a.post�crash in-
24 vestigation is to determine the true cause of the crash., However,, in cases where
25 everyone on board has been killed leaving no survivors, investigation work is
26 exceedingly difficult sometimes years of research being spent without success.
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1
The investigation work in this ease has been divided, the part concerning the
:2 plane itself being undertaken by your Administration jointly with experts celled
5 in, and the Part concerning the guns 'found with wreckage being undertaken by
4
5
the security authorities. To begin '4th, an official announcement by the Pro-
vincial. Police Department appeared in all the papers on July 14
which was
summarized in fOUr essential points as follows (quoted from 'the China Daily News):
The two .45 caliber pistols and the two English books which were hollowed
8 out to secrete then had been traced to Tseng Yang, one of the passengers
9 killed, who secretly carried them aboard,
' 10 (2) After careful exaMination� (i) it had been determined that neither of
the guns was loaded and neither showed traces of having been fired;
12 (ii) according to the coronersf findings, the body of Bengee Lin had shown
13 no indication of wounds from gunshot, explosion, cutting, stabbing, or
14 suffocation; (iii) the plane in question had crashed after taking off
15 from Taichung and approximately only one minute after signing off from
the Control Tower.
17 (3) Although no facts had yet come to light to indicate any connection in
18 Tseng Yang's action of secretly carrying two guns aboard with the crash
19 of the aircraft the military authorities were still to be requested to
20 thoroughly look into the motive behind Tsengls action.
21 (4) As to whether the crash ct this round�the�island scheduled plane had been
22 caused by mechanical malfunction, an error in navigational directions,
23 weather conditions, overloading, or pilot error, these factors were
24 awaiting thorough investigation by experts invited from abroad by
25 Ministry of Communications, who had made it a subject of special research
26 with factual data to be ascertained.
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1. Of the four points above, point (3) was evidently the most significant one, that
2 is to say, although no facts had yet come to light to indicate any connection in
3 Tsene Yang's action of secretly earrying.two guns aboard with the crash qf the
4 .
aircraft the militare authorities were still to be requested to thorouet0e7 leek
5 into the motive behind Tsengis action. This statement expressed a point of doubt
6 still to be taken into consideration, and not a point already, determined arbitrarily.
7- This attitude indicated a serious and cautious approach and an equitable and lam.
8 partial process of reasoning which we highly appreciated and esteemed.
,9 4. The Chinese and foreign experts assigned by your Administration completed
10 their draft reports on the night of July 13 (the newspapers on the 14th carried a
11 Central News release, in which Mr. T: K. Chao, Chief of your Administrations
12 Flight Safety Division,.Stated that the experts were still busily engaged in
13 writing their investigation reports on the afternoon of the 13th e. China Daily
114 News). According to the distinct understanding of the Company's delegate present
)15 at, the Investigation 3oard. Meeting held on the 14th, no positive conclusions were
.16 arrived at at that meeting. However on the following morning, the Minister of
117 Communications released a Statement before the CommuniCations Committee of the
18 Legislative Yuen, in which he gave the essential points in summarized form con-
, 19 cerning the crash of CAT's- aircraft 13-908. The opening paragraph of this state-
;20 ment was: "A report on the autopsy of Captain Bengee tin's body has been announced
21 by the Taichung District Court on July U. As to the carriage of pistols by
/22 passenger Tseng Yang, the Taiwan Provincial Police Department officially made
23 knoun its investigation findings on July 13. These reports of the court and thc
:)24 Police Department have combined to adjudge the cause and responsibility of the
,25
accident as to be not connected with security factors.* This wording plainly
26 credited the security authorities with a statement they had not made, carrying
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1. a meaning contradictory to that expressed by the security authorities themselves.
2 What the security authorities had said was that even though no evidence had been
3 uncovered to show any direct connections between the guns and the accident, this
4 was no positive proof that no connections existed at all, especially since Tseng
5 Yang's motive for bringing the guns aboard was etill-to be investigated. The
6 position taken by the security authorities plainly showed an open mind) fair and
7 unbiased, and a determination to search for truth. This worthy attitud: had
8 obviously been misinterpreted by our Minister of Communications. The Minister
9 then went on to introduce a written statement entitled "SALIENT pcaus OF
� 10 INVESTIGATION REPORT ON CAT B-908 (C-46) ACCIDENT", in which, after citing in
11 part the views of the experts the following conclusion was given under Point
�22 Number 5:
15
"Based on substantial: wear and tear. of the left 'control cable and an
the overspeeding of the left propeller, the Board deemed that normal
time maintenan e for the aircraft was not attentively carried outi
16 and that there was also indication of improper handling on the part
17 Of the pilot,"
18 Th1 statement athount d to a direct Pronouncement ora grave blunder committed by
19 Air Asia CompaniTAmi ed, renowned for its professional excellence in the
dis-
20 Charge Of their respp sibility for the maintenance of the aircraft, and at the
21 same time an obvious competence in emergency measures on the part of one of the
22 best pilots.selected rom those:retired from the Chinese Air-Force.
23 In every fi ld of endeavor, our Government has made tremendous progress since
24 its removal to Taiwan. The very fact that in 15 years of civil aviation there has
, 25 hitherto never been a fatal accident, this one being the very first, is already
26 a remarkable record, �ne of distinction notionly in the nation itself but in the
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12
13
-8-
1 world at large. Even in Europe and America, where much valuable experience has
2 been gained from aircraft crash investigations, investigation specialists, with
3 all their experience behind them, have not infrequently spent months and years on
4 one crash without successfully reaching a conclusion. If it is indeed possible
5
for an Investigation Board organized in this country to investigate its first air
6 disaster in which .the aircraft was completely broken up and everybody on board.
,7 was killed, to be able to ascertain the cause of the crash and determine the
8 responsibility for it in less than a ment0e, time and to be able to foretell
-9 the date, then the standard of technical skill and the high degree of competency
10 in China have certainly established another record of excellence setting an.
outstanding example for the world to look up to and follow. However, facts did
not seem to Indicate this to be the ease. We understand that there were two
experts who called upon Your Director after the announcement of the "SALIENT
14 POINTS OF 'INVESTIGATION REPORT" to express their dissentien in no uncertain 'berme.
15 If this is true, then it would appear that
16 (1) The "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTIGATION REPORT" was finalized after the foreign
17 experts had left the Investigation Board Meeting;
18 (2) The contents of the "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTIGATION REPORT" did not corros-
19 pond with the reports submitted by the experts;
20 (3) Vis-a-vis the Company, a judgement was handed down in absentia, entirely on
1 21 an arbitrary basis, and without an opportunity given the absentee to produce
22 evidences or make representations in .a lawful manner. Under these circum-
) '23 stances such findings of the Board were patently unfair and ungrounded.
. 24 Perhaps the Investigation Board, a little too anxious to earn credit for
25 itself, was too hurried in its action to bring the matter to a close,. and,
26 while pursuing this course hastily, took passages from the experts � reports
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out of context, in the course or which even though-there'was no deliberate
2 act of distortion it is quite possible that matters were handled in such a
thoughtless manner as to lead to a departure from true facts, This Company,.
-* for the sake of its own reputation and for the sake of the nationls prestige,
now finds itSelf compelled to break its long-held silence..
6
5., There is a mide'discrepanby between what is given in the "SALIENT
7poins OF INVLSTIGATION REPORT" and what is given in the reports then available
flef the foreign specialists on the subject of maintenance, a fact demonstratable
9from records. While on the subject of pilotts handling, the specialirtst reports
10did not even mention any connection it might have had with the cause of the accident.
214n point of fact, even passages within the "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTIGATION REPORT"
14tse* contained a number of contradictions which one finds hard to reconcile.
� 13These discrepancies could not have escaped the notice of the Director had it not
14heen the fact that the work of composing this report was done under great pressuroj,
15late into the night of the 14th, for the purpose of rushing out a report to be
14resented to the Legislative Yuan the next morning.
17(1). The "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTIGATION REPORT" stated "2.,14r..Pahl pointed
out that from an inspection made of all airframe structural parts, there
19 was no evidence that' the aircraft had ,any track from metal exhaustion or any
20 crack that could'lead to structural failure prior to crash, the burns and
. damages on all airframe Parts being all found as to have arisen from fire
21
�22 upon impact with the ground," This statement serves to testify that as far
23 . as the airframe was concerned everything was in order, there being obviously
24'
no evidence to indicate poor maintenance, .
25(2). The "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTIGATIONREPORT" further stated: USCAB
26 . .experts who tested On the control cables affirmed in a report that the cable
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� 1 used for control of right elevator trim tab was broken upon impact with the
2 ground, not during flight but that the cable used for control of left
� 3 elevator trim tab showed substantial wear and tear, although the breakage
� 4 was more probably also due to impact with ground. The majority board
5 opinion is that even if these cables became broken during flight prior to
6 crash, the crew should have encountered no particular difficulty in eon-
7 trolling the plane in continued flight." Howevers'it failed to point out
8 whether the substantial wear and tear referred to were caused by use in
9 flying prior to the crash, or caused by abrasion in contact with another
10 part of the aircraft when it hit the ground. It is arbitrary to use this
11 as a basis for concluding that the normal time maintenance was not atten-
12 tively carried out, Furthermore, since the experts have already assumed
13 that the breakage was more probably due to impact with the ground and at
14 the same time, asserted that the right control cables without any evidence
15 of wear and tear, was also broken on impact with the ground, then it
16 establishes the fact that there was no cause and effect relationship between
17 the wear and tear and the breakage. Horeover� evidence has since been found
18 by the Company to show that at the time of impact0,when the aircraft was
19 broken into pieces the left cable in question (and others) was pulled so
20 strongly that it was dragged through a part of the fuselage, actually cutting
21 the aluminum several inches deep. This finding amply explains the so-called
22 wear and tear and establishes the fact that the cable in question was intact
23 at the moment of impact and so could not logically be cited as relating to
24 accident cause. Besides this, even had this particular cable been faulty
25 � it still could not have logically been pointed to as an accident cause.
26(3) The "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTIGATION REPORT" goes on to state: "4. Mr.,
27 Hallman who inspected the tuo engines stated in his report that the engines
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had no obvious trouble, but that because the power unit for left propeller
was yet to be located from scene of crash, search for the power unit should
continue in order to enable further study and evaluation of condition of
4 flying for the very short moment just prior to crash* Er* Hellman furthar.
5 pointed out that the engine manifold gage readings were similar for both
6 engines and that blade butt gear damages sustained upon impact with ground
7 - were located at approximately similar positions and for an approximately
8 similar number of gear teeth ' " These statements are consistent with
9 the actual statements contained in Nr. Hallman's report. They affirm (i)
10 that the revolutionary speed of both the left and right engines and propellers
11 were similar and (ii) that althou&h the power unit (installed at the protruding
12 portion of the propeller for automatic regulation of blade angle, and thence,
13 propeller and engine speed) for the left propeller has not been found, there
14 is direct evidence there was no ovorspecding of the left propellor. What
15 followed under the same Point 4 is not only inconsistent with Mr. Hallman is
16 reporting but in direct contradiction to the two affirmations made earlier under
�
17 the same Point 4. As regards the "difference in RIM of more than 1,000", this
18 was indicated by the tachometer, one of the many instruments in the cockpit
19 for crew reference. The tachometer records engine speed, not propeller speed.
� 20 Since the engines themselves have been found to perform at similar speed,
21 little reliance can be placed in readings of the cockpit instrument which
22 gives only indirect indication, especially where this instrument already
23 had its pointer detached and sustained damage of its inner mechanism. The
� 24 alleged propeller overspeeding is therefore without basis and runs counter
25 to direct evidence. Furthermore, an overopccding propeller, which occurs
26 most frequently during the far more cruciAl takeoff regime2 is an entirely
� 27 manageable phenomenon which pilots are trained to handle and drilled on.
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 (
11
12
The danger of an overspeeding propeller is not that it will materially
� upset the aircraft performance but rather that the propeller or its engine
' will be unable to withstand the higher than designed for stresses generated
by the higher rotational or reciprocating speeds involved end so the propeller
may fail and throw pieces through the vitals of the aircraft or, becoming
unbalanced from loss of a part wring itself or its engine from the aircraft)
, the engine may come apart or a fire may start. Since none of these happened
to B-908, further evidence is offered against the theory that the left pro-
peller overspeeded.-
) The aforesaid three paragraphs should afford ample evidence that the inves-
tigation work has not found any indication that maintenance of the aircraft
"was not attentively carried out." The alleged wear and tear of left Control.,
13 cable and overspeeding of left propeller are not supported by facts) and
14 objective analysis has further indicated to the contrary. As to alleged
15 "indication of improper handling on the part of the pilot", such we find is
16 entirely beyond our comprehension. The pilots died with the crash and no
17 living person knows of what they actually did in the short moment just prior
18 to crash. Not a single word on improper handling by,pilot was noted in
19 Points 10 2, 3, and 4 of the "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTIGATION REPORT." Our
20 personnel who attended the July 14 investigation board meeting heard no one
21 voicing any doubt on pilot performance. Thus, we are not aware if the so
22 called "indications" originated from information beyond the known scope of
23 investigation. Bengee Lin was an experienced pilot. A graduate of Chinese
24 Air Academy, he received advanced pilot and instrument training in the U. S.
25' and served as CAF Captain and check pilot of the Far East Flying School in
26 Hong Kong, before joining the Company as copilot in 1950. lie 'was promoted .
27
to Reserve Captain in 1953 and to Captain in,1957, He had 14 years 1 service
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1 with the Company and had been known as one of the best and most cautious
2 pilots among all Chinese and foreign pilot personnel. He bad logged nearly
3 120000 flying hours. Copilot M. H. Kling was likewise an experienced piloto
4 A former CAP Captain, M. H. Kung had had 16 years1 service with the CompanY
5 �and had logged over 13,000 flying hours, even more than Ben gee Lin. Both
6 had maintained an excellent record and from their rich flying experience in
7 the long years of their air career within which they could hardly have failed
to encounter every kind of accidental occurrence, there is no cause to doubt
9 their proficiency in emergency procedures, particuln,qy in C-46 type aircraft
10 with which they were exceptionally familiar. There is yet not evidence that
11 B-908 developed any mechanical trouble. Assuming that a control cable did
12 break or a propeller did overspeed, either of the pilots could have discovered
13 and corrected the situation easily and without hesitation. Their action
14 would be almost automatic as if reaching to scratch an itch or rub a pain on
15 one's own body, We have every confidence that they would be able to maintain
16 . flying, certainly not permitting the plane to descend and crash from an
17 altitude of more than 1,000 feet over an interval of 20 to 30 seconds without
la any attempt to effect an emergency landing or without reporting by radio an
19 emergency. We therefore deem the alleged improper handling on the pilot's
20
part completely unfounded.. For Bengee Lin who had served the Company faith-
21 fully for more than ten _years and had died in the line of duty the Company
22 'cannot do less than speak up to correct any erroneous or grossly 'unjust
23 judgement, passed on him,posthumously, which he himself could not defend,
24 From the foregoing, the conclusions contained in Point 5 of the "SALIZNT MINIS
25 OF /MSTIGATION REPORT" are obviously groundless and illogical, and certainly
26 do not "represent the findings of Chinese and foreign experts arrived at pursuant
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to established procedure." The fact is the cause of the accident is yet to
2 be determined and the investigation work is not yet complete. We now learn
3 however that a Proposal of Corrective Measures is being (has been) passed by
4 the Control Yuan in connection with the B-908 crash. Although this is essentially
5 a matter between the control and executive branches of the Government itself,
6 yet the object of the proposal is this Company while, according to press
7 reports, their basic justification is none other than the wording of Point
8 5 of the l!SALIENT P0INT3 OF INVESTIGATION REPORT", i.e., "the failure of
9 attentively carrying out maintenance; improper handling by the pilot". We ara
10
Mae
alarmed, and at the same time deeply distressed, to see that these curt
11 phrases have now assumed the status of accepted facts and threaten to become
� 12 a permanent record in the annals of civil aviation, when they not only lack
13 any substantiation from the findings by the experts, but have been plainly
14 demonstrated in the foregoing presentation to be scientifically incorrect on
15 one count and contrary to all reason on the other. Such being the case, it
16 seems rather satiric that corrective measures are proposed where, as far as the
17 cause of the crash is concerned, the object for such measures is still void.
18 We regard this action as not only unfair to the ComPany itself and to its many
19 loyal employees dedicated to public air service, but also unfair to your Adminis-
20 tration under whose guidance and leadership civil aviation has made such great
21 strides of progress in the recent 10 odd years. As regards the Legislative Yuan
22 it is apparent that the subject of the air crash will be taken up at plenary eas-
23 sions in the imminmtfuture. From all indications this may be the last occasion
24 for the matter to be aired in public. This may also be the last opportunity for
25 the charges emanating from Point 5 of the "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTIGATION REPO&
26 1,e00
27 pilot" to be admitted with finality or set aside for further investigation and
28 study. With 100% conviction, this Company takes the position that there has been
29 nothing found in tis- n^,,Ata 4mrp,qt1oAtioon to iustify their admission, but the
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1 situation has developed so that they may well become Rdmitted facts for all time
2 unless the Company voices its position now. In the interests of truth and justice,
� 3 therefore, we solemnly request that a closer scrutiny be made by you of all the
� 4 materials which have come to hand, including the technical reports submitted by
5 the foreign experts and, before this grave blunder goes any further, a correction
6 statement be issued by you in regard to Point 5 in the "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTI.
7 CATION REPORT". As we have submitted before, it is of no discredit to anyone to
8 devote a long time to investigating the cause of an air disaster like that of B-908,
9 or to fail in even finding the cause. In point of fact, the worth of any investi-
10 gation lies in the truth it serves to disclose, and not in the speed in which it
11 is conducted.
'12 .6. The "SALIENT POINTS OF INVESTMATION REPORT" begin, under Point 1, with
13 the elimination by the unanimous agreement of the Board of 7 possibilities as
14 likely causes for the accident. These possibilities are:
15 (1) Weather
16 (2) Air traffic control
17 (3) Navigation aid
18 (4) Age Of plane or metal exhaustion of part of airframe structure
19 (5) In-flight fire
20 (6) Crew time in excess of prescribed limits
21 (7) Pixel
22 In
addition to the above, the observations made in Point 5 of the same report
23 cannot be accepted as the cause or causes of the crash. Taking the correct open-
24 minded viewpoint, we ourselves do not claim to rule out mechanical malfunction
25 as a possible cause of the accident, but we do assertvmost emphatically, that
26 no evidence exists to support the assumption that the accident was caused by
27 the defects you have pointed to. To demonstrate our cautious and objective
28 attitude, we have to this day kept all parts of the B-908 wreckage undisturbed
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l' at Air Asia's Tainan base, even though in your Notification No. FEI-AN-53-04769
� 2 dated August 3 you authorized us to dispose of all the remnants except for
3 certain parts. The parts so specified are those related to the propeller and
4 the pitch-change power unit, which actually serve to show, if anything, only
5 that the engines and propellers were rotating nor y at the moment of impact� .
6 Not only these parts are being carefully ept� but every other part of the wreckage
7 which was recovered from the crash scene is still kept undisturbed and is open
8 to inspection at any time. Your notification under reference seems to imply.
9 that the Investigation Board has duly examined all parts of the wreckage, and
10 has come upon nothing else to indicate mechanical defect, but the Company's
11 position is that since the Board findings are far from conclusive, the whole
12 of the wreckage should be subject to renewed scrutiny. However, if it is the
13 Board's expert opinion that further research is unnecessary, then we are obliged
14 to consider the factor of mechanical defect to be officielly eliminated as
15 another possible cause of the accident.
16 7, What other factors remain to be eliminated as possible causes of the
17 crash? That there was no explosion in flight is proven b/ eye-witnesses and
18 by the absence of physical traces. The same applied to tha remote possibility
19 of a collision with any object in the air. Step by step, the field seems to
20 narrow down to the possibility of unexpected happenings within the aircraft,
21 that is to say, the factor of human deeds. Here we come back to the starting
22 point of this analysis, i.e., the question of the pistols found at the crash
23 site, the persons who carried them aboard, and the motive behind such carriage.
24 Reverting to paragraph 3 hereof, the police authorities made it public in old-
25 y that the motive behind Tseng Yangos action in surreptitiously carrying
26 the fire-arms aboard was yet to be investigated. To the best of our knowledge
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1 the investigations in this connection are still in progress, and at lest
2 as late as the and of August the security authorities concerned did not
3 consider this matter as closed. It is recognized that due to a division of
4 responsibility this is one aspect which the Investigation Board functioning
5 under your Administration's direction has not given as much attention to .as
6 to the mechanical or aviation aspects. On the other hand, the ,purpose of
7 'looking for the cause of the one, air crash is a common one, And in the common
8 effort to accomplish this purpose, the security factor is after all another
9 of many factors which must be, and so far as we know has not been, eliminated
10 .like all others. In this connection we have come upon some points of doubt
11 in reviewing information at hand which may be worth looking into. In presenting
12 these points for your consideration and for the consideration of thd security
13 authorities, we must make it quite clear that it is not our intention to
121. suggest that the accident was. positively caused by any malicious acts on the
15 part of the armed passengers aboard. Our purpose is merely to point out that,
16 having failed so far to locate the cause elseWhere, the human factor in this
17 case is one of equal importance as any other factor such as, say, a broken
18 instrument or a missing motor, and in the same state of open mind as we
19 maintain throughout in regard to all possible causes of the accident, we care'.
20 fully set forth below these points of doubt in an orderly manner in the hope
21 that they may be helpful in searching for the truth, if it is here that the
22 truth lies, or eliminating the doubts if it is not. Actually, with the exception
23 of may 3 or 4 points of interest, all of the information given has nlready
24 appeared in the newspapers during the initial weeks of widespread press coverage
25 immediately following the crash, in the course of which the points of real
26 significance were beclouded unavoidably by rumors, conjectures, and irrelevant
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1 facts publicized, such as for instance seat reservations made but not taken
2 up by one or two individuals, which is a very common occurrence in the air
3 travel business, the mysterious black boxes allegedly to have been taken aboard
4 at one of the stations, the double suicide involving a female Air Asia employee,
5 etc., etc. Amidst all these stories of sensationalism which were played up at
6 the tine, the only item bearing any relevance to the crash was still Tseng Yang
7 and his guns.
8 (1) Tseng Yangts travel from Nakung was me in the company of Wang Cheng�yi,
9 an erstwhile colleague of Tsengts in the armed forces, who engaged himself
10 in business at Mhkung following discharge from military service. To travel
11 in company was by no means uncommon, but the strange thing was that Wang
12 apparently followed Tsengts directions without having any say of his own.
13 According to the local inhabitants, Wang left home in a great hurry on June 20,
14 obviously unprepared. His secretive behavior should be a point of interest.
15 Because the pistols were stolen and the books in which they were carefully
16 concealed were borrowed by Tseng, attention has been concentrated on him
17 only, while little mention has been heard about Wang. Regardless of the
18 purpose of Tsengls travel, Wang obviously was a party to the scheme and
19 therefore listened to Toeng and followed his every move.
20 (2) On June 17, Wang bought from our Makung Office two Bakung/Taipei one�way
21 tickets forrn the June 18 flight and paid for the fare in full. In the morn-
22 ing of June l8 Tseng changed reservation for the two seats to June 20.
23 simple reasoning Wang should have knoun of the change. But the great
24 haste in which Wang left Makung on June 20 would indicate that Tseng merely
25 told Wang they were not leaving June 18 but did not mention the exact
26 date of their trip. And there should be a reason behind Vanes unpreparedness
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1 and willingness to accommodate Tseng to this extent.
2 (3) Tseng Yang, being in active rilitaryservices, was entitled to free transper-
3 tation by military transport. Instead of availing himself of this privilege,
4 he elected totrave by commercial airline at the cost of NT6A40036, a
5 sum by no means insignificant to a man of his station. Assuming that Wang
6 ' who was not entitled to military transport accommodation bought the
7 tickets in order to have a travel companion, the choice to buy one-way'
8 tickets at the sacrifice of the usual discount for round trip passage
9 would appear uneconomical and rather illogical in the light of the fact
10 that Tseng was stationed in Makung and Wanes business was also in Hakung
11 to which both must return.
12 (4) Tsang travelled to Taipei on leave granted for a limited duration, at the
13 end of which ho was obliged to return to his duties at Makung. Yet the
14 classified books which he borrowed from the shipyard /ibrarY a week before
15 the trip were carefully hollowed out by him for the purpose of weapon
16 concealment. Furthermore, it is widely reported that prier to leaving
17 Makung, he had wound up all his personal affairs and given away all his
18 personal effects, plainly indicating his determination not to return.
19 As Tseng must undoubtedly be aware, the stealing of pistols would sooner
20 or later come to light and, in view of the strict exit control and rigid
21� coast guard being maintained over Taiwan, he would be easily apprehended
22 even if he should cheese not to return to Makung. His actions secm
23 inexplicable unless it was in his mind to leave the country altogether
24 by means of the airplane he was riding on,
25 (5) Seven of the bodies could net be identified at the crash scene and not
26 until their removal to Taipei were the bodies of Tseng Yang and Wang
27 Cheng-yi identified among them. No evidence is available as to whether
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Tseag had not left or had been strapped to his seat. Records concerning
the body of Wang show two points which distinguish hia from all the other
3 bodies. One is that his injuries were much more serious than and different
4 in pattern from the others and, unlike the other bodies, his legs, parti-
5 cularly the right one, showed extensive injuries, and his torso and belly
6 were split wide open, with entrails hanging out. The other point is that,
7 while the bodies of all the other passengers and cabin attendants were
8 scattered in a certain pattern on either side of the airplane, Wang's
9 body was located in the cockpit area near those of the pilot and the
10 co-pilot. Judging from the above, it is not probable that about one
11 minute after the airplane had bid farewell to Control Tower, Wang, Tsanges
22 travel companion, had made his way into the cockpit and stuck himself
13 with the pilots until death.
14 (6) Both pistols were not found inside the books in which they had been
15 concealed. One pistol was found the second day. The other pistol was
16 found on the fourth day lying underneath an engine of the aircraft which
17 was not lifted until June 240 in the vicinity of certain cockpit items.
18 The things that were found within the small space beneath the engine are
19 listed here below:
20 a. the pilot's Engine Analyzer Handbook;
21 b. the copilot's personal notebook;
22 c. crew baggage tags bearing copilot Kung's name;
23 d. the flashlight belonging to the crew flight-kit;
24 e. a pistol
25 f. seat back of either pilot or copilot
26 A portion of a shirt worn by a Chinese naval officer was found only four or
27 five feet from these things, in the area of cockpit wreckage.
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1 The pistols have been confirmed to have been carried by Tseng Yang, who
2 was the only one in Chinese navy uniform among all the passengers, and .
3 there should be no question as to whom the portion of the navy shirt belonged,
4 Since the pistols were not found in or with the hollowed out books and since
5 one in fact was found under an engine with items from the cockpit, is it
6 not entirely possible both pistols were being used at the time of the crash;
7 at least one in the cockpit?
(7) Assuming that Tseng Yang and Wang Cheng-yi had schemed to hijack the plane,
9 then in addition to this scheme, they plainly had something else in mind.
10 The circumstances surrounding the reservations made by Wang Cheng-yi originpily
11 for the 18th and later postponed by Tseng Yang till the 20th are not clear.
12 However, there were two CAT flights departing Makung for Taipei on June 2e.
13 The earlier flight was a big four-engined DC-4 flying from Makung to Taipei
14 with only one stop at Tainan. The afternoon flight was a smaller, slower
15 twin-engined C,46 which had to stop at both Tainan and Taichung. It
16 happened that the afternoon flight was heavily booked and our Makung Office
17 tried hard to persuade Tseng Yang to take the bigger DC-4, departing earlier,
18 which was more comfortable and faster. However, Tseng Yang refused the
19 suggestion and stated that he had to meet a friend at the Taichung airfield.
20 Tnquiries made since the accident have revealed that there was no one meet-
21 ing him at the airfield, indicating that the statement he gave was a mere
22 pretext to travel aboard the C-46, Could his real motive for selecting the
23 C-46 be then that he was after particular people expected to board the
24 plane at Taichung?
25 (8) Sixteen passengers boarded at Taichung for Taipei on June 20. Except one
26 Mr. Chow doing small business in Eeelung and hie wife, the remaining 14
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3
4
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passengers were all people of or connected with the motion picture industry,
including Date and Datin Loke Wan Tho. The itinerary of Loke Wan Tho was
widely reported by the press well in advance and it was an object of atten-
tion of hundreds of thousands.
a. The Film Festival Committee's program for the overseas visitors,
publicized as early as June 2, stated that June 20, the day after the
7 final festival functions, was scheduled to be a free movement day on
8 which day excursions were planned for the visitors for Hualien and
9 Taichung the choice being left to the visitors themselves.
10 b. Loke Wan .Tho arrived in Taipei on June 12 and at a press interview
11 given immediately after landing he made known his wish to visit the
12 National Central Museum to realize his life-long desire to see the
13 rare collections of that museum.
14 c. On June 15 Lake Wan The announced publicly at breakfast his decision
15 �to visit Taichung on the 20th.
16 d. On June 16 the Film Festival Committee sent word to the MPGI delegation
17 that no private plane was available for the Taichung excursion on the
18 20th.
19 e. On June 17 the MPGI delegation made their decision to maintain their
20 plan to visit Taichung on the 20th by utilizing CAT's scheduled services,
21 going down in the morning and coming back in the evening in good time
22 for Loke Van Tho to play' host at a farewell banquet at the Grand Hotel
23 ' that evening, and telephoned CAT for reservation of the round-trip
24 passage.
25 . On June 19 the MPGI delegation duly took from the Company 11 round-trip
26 tickets Taipei/Taichung/Taipei for the 20th.
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1
2
4
5
6
9
10
13
14
15
16
17
18,
19
20 1
21
22
gt On ;Tune 20 the MPGT party headed by Loke Wan Tho went to Taichung
by CAT plane B-908 and boarded the same plane the same afternoon
for return to Taipei as scheduled..
A chronological chart hereunder shows more plainly the activities of
Loke Wan Tho and his party at the Taipei end correlated with those of
,Tseng.Yang and Nang Cheng-yi at the Makung end.
DATE At Taipei End
June 2 Fili Festival Program release announ-
� cing, among other items, June 20th to
be day for free movements. Excursions
� to Taichung and Hualien offered free
of cost to visitors, choice to join
either left to visitors.
Wang Chih Po, 3rd ranking MPG' execu-
tive, arrived TPE and confirmed Loke
Wan Tho coming on 12th.
10 Advance news of Lokets scheduled
arrival on 12th appeared in press.
Loke Wan Tho arrived TPE with wife and
other Film Festival participants.
Press conference at airfield after
landing.
23 13
24
25
At Makting End
. Lieut. Then z Yang took
out book fr-m. Shipp1.7.d
Library.
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DATE
1 June 15
2
3
5
6
At Taipei End
Loke announced publicly in morning
his decision to visit Taichung on 20th.
16 Film Festival Committee advised MPGI
group no special plane available for
Taichung excursion on 20th.
17 Lake and ITU members decided to
7 take Taichung trip on 20th as
8 . planned, travelling by CAT in 4ka.
9' and returning by'CAT in
10 ' serVations made with CAT.
11
/2
13
34
18
19
la
20
21 19 MPG/ representative called at CAT
22 Booking Office to take 11 round-
23 trip tickets for 20th.
24 20 Loke an Tho and party proceeded
25 . to Taichung as scheduled by CAT �
26 B-908 in a.m. Loke and party boarded
27 B-908 at Taichung in p.m. for TPE as
At Makung End
Meng took out 2nd book
from Library. Wang Chrmg-
yi bought 2 CAT one-way
tickets, for self and
Tseng rang, booking for
18th.
Tseng Yang changed CAT
reservations for self and
Warr; Cheng-yi from 18th
to 20th, insisting on
C-46 vs DC-40 giving as
reason an appointment
with friend at Taichung
Airfield, now proven
false.
Tscng Yang and Wang Cheng-
yi boarded CAT B-908 for
TPE in morning.
28 scheduled.
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Considered independently, the correlation may well have been coincidental.
2 But in the absence of evince to the contrary, this series of correlated
3 facts can perhaps affirm Tsang Yang had his eye on Loke han Tho and,
4 therefore, should not be brushed aside lightly as pure coincidence.
� 5 (9) An unloaded gun of .45 caliber can serve two purposes as effectiv:ly
� 6 as a loaded one. One of course is to knock someone unconscious with
7 its butt from behind, a common spectacle in motion pictures. The
� 8 other is to use it to intimidate someone who obviously cannot tell
9 whether it is loaded. Only in actual shooting does it prove useless,
10 but then for the purpose or hijacking an airplane one merely threntons
11 the pilot in the cockpit but must avoid shooting him. It follows
12 therefore that, if it was Teeng Yangls intention to hijack the plane,
13 he really needed no ammunition in his guns; in other words, the gams
14 not being fired does not necessarily mean that they were not otherwise
15 used. Although no pilot himself, Tsang Tang was a student or radar
16 and might have realized that the propitious moment for action was
17 after the plane had cleared Tower Control but before it was high
18 enough to be detected by ground radar. After bidding farewell to
19 Tower, 8-908 was climbing and just as it entered the scope of radar
20 detection it suddenly made a pronounced turn to the wcst� and a bit
21 later descended rapidly and crashed. Since the experts have found no
22 evidence of any mechanical trouble, and other logical causes including
23 pilot handling are not evidento the human factor� personified by Tsang
24 and Wang, armed with concealed though unloaded weapons, is clearly a
25 possibility to be duly taken into careful consideraticn.
26 I. Enclosed with this petition are copies of four reports submitted
27 by the Companyos departments concerned which form attachments I, II, III,
pproved for Release: 2020/08/19 CO2145406
Approved for Release: 2020/08/19 CO2145406
�
26 �
1 and IV hereto. The three additional sets enclosed are intended for MCC,
2 the Communications Committee of the .Legislative 'uan and the Taiwan Garrison
General Headquarters to be forwarded by you subject to 7our approval.
Approved for Release: 2020/08/19 CO2145406