01 Investigation
Written by: Chen Jingqi
2020-10-29 07:00
Last update date: 2020-10-29 07:00
A military chartered flight of Taiwan Lirong Airlines was originally scheduled to be en route from Kaohsiung to Dongsha at 9:05 am on the 15th of this month and requested to enter the necessary Hong Kong flight information region. However, the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department notified that flying below 26,000 feet is a "dangerous zone" "If you are denied entry, you must turn back.
"Hong Kong 01" checked the flight records of the day. During the 1 hour and 18 minutes of the Taiwan military chartered flight involved from take off to return to the original place, at least five Chinese helicopters flew low to the southeast and the Dongsha Islands in the Hong Kong Flight Information Region; A fixed-wing aircraft of the Hong Kong Flying Service also hovered for an hour in the southeast of Hong Kong.
That is, multiple aircrafts from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan met dangerously in the sensitive area of Dongsha.
The Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong does not routinely issue NOTAMs for dangerous areas. Therefore, the outside world does not know the actual range of dangerous areas below 26,000 feet, nor does it know whether helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft fly low in dangerous areas.
The Security Bureau stated that it would not disclose the details of the navigation, so as to prevent criminals from obtaining favorable information.
▼Taiwan military charter, flight service team fixed-wing aircraft and Chinese helicopter navigation map▼
Taiwan aircraft applied for a flight altitude of 16,000 feet to enter the port, calling 26,000 feet a dangerous zone
On October 15th, Taiwan Lirong Air’s military chartered flight B7-9051 took off from Kaohsiung Xiaogang to Dongsha at 9:05 a.m., but the plane suddenly turned around at 9:44 a.m., due to a temporary notice from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, the flight altitude was 26,000 feet and it was dangerous. In the area, the Lirong Air Force chartered plane was denied entry at an altitude of 16,000 feet, so it finally turned back and arrived in Kaohsiung at 10:23.
55 people including the Ministry of National Defense and the Marine Patrol Agency were on board the plane that day.
On October 15, a military chartered plane of Lirong Air from Kaohsiung to Dongsha flew to the vicinity of the junction of the Taipei Flight Information Region and the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. The Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong was informed by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department that there were dangerous activities in the flying area below 26,000 feet, and Lirong was refused. The flight enters.
The picture shows Lirong's ATR72-600 twin-propeller airliner of the same model.
(Central News Agency)
The flight service fixed-wing aircraft circled for one hour
Checking the flight records, the military chartered flight B7-9051 involved in the flight lasted 1 hour and 18 minutes on the morning of October 15. During the return period, a fixed-wing aircraft B-LVB from the Hong Kong Flying Service began at 10:03 in the morning. Departing from Chek Lap Kok Airport, he flew to the southeast and hovered in the air for nearly an hour before returning to the original place.
In the early morning of August 23, 12 Hong Kong people were suspected of absconding to Taiwan and were arrested by the public security in inland waters. At that time, it was the same fixed-wing aircraft of the Flying Service that circled near Budai'ao, Saigon.
▼Taiwan releases records of air traffic control calls between Hong Kong and Taiwan▼
Five inland helicopters fly low
At the same time, there were also at least five "CITIC Haizhi" helicopters, namely "CHC7306", "B-70T1", "B70Q0", "EC22S", and "EC225". The helicopters were no more than 2,000 feet away from Daya Bay. Over the sea, flying low in the direction of the Dongsha Islands, but the departure and destination of the flight has not been disclosed, and the flight record has no take-off and landing routes.
CITIC Haizhi, a subsidiary of the CITIC Group, provides a number of helicopter rental services, including providing helicopters to the Mainland Public Security Bureau to assist in aerial inspections, command and hunt down fugitives, and will also conduct joint maritime exercises.
▼Flight Service B-LVB fixed-wing aircraft▼
Taiwan’s Minister of Defense: Verify that the CCP has no military exercises
After the incident, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Yan Defa said: “Our Ministry of National Defense verified that the CCP did not have any military exercises there, regardless of the surrounding sea and airspace.” He called on the land side to pay attention to international flight safety and not to disrupt the international flight order.
Executive Yuan Su Zhenchang criticized that in accordance with international practice, charter flights should not be hindered from entering the Hong Kong flight information region.
▼Mainland helicopter▼
Taiwan Civil Aviation Administration: Hong Kong refuses to enter Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department: Taiwan cancels request
The Civil Aviation Department of Taiwan released the call records of the Hong Kong and Taiwan Air Traffic Control Center. Hong Kong could not accept the flight. Taiwan asked whether the military exercise was carried out, but the Hong Kong side did not answer. There was a reply on whether Taiwan had military exercises on that day.
However, the Civil Aviation Department of Hong Kong stated that Taiwan would cancel the entry request first.
▼Hong Kong Flight Information Region Range▼
Dangerous zone ends in the evening, express flycation, and fly near Dongsha in the afternoon
According to Taiwan’s public records, the Hong Kong side notified the danger zone until 6:24 pm.
On the same day, the Hong Kong Express (HK Express) Hong Kong to Hong Kong flycation media previewed the charter UO1800. It took off at 2:41 pm, flew to the west of the Dongsha Islands, and landed at 3:52 pm, with a maximum flight altitude of 25,000 feet, both time and altitude. Within the danger zone.
Hong Kong Express held a media preview of "Flycation Around Hong Kong" on October 15.
Checking the flight information, the flight took off from 2:41 pm to 3:52 pm on the same day, with a maximum flight altitude of 25,000 feet, and its flight time and altitude were within the danger zone.
(Screenshot of Flightrader24)
▼On October 15th, Hong Kong Express will hold "Flycation around Hong Kong"▼
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Security Bureau: Do not disclose details to prevent criminals from having beneficial information
As usual, the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department will provide air navigation information services for airline personnel and pilots, including providing flight announcements (NOTAM), but there is no announcement regarding this incident.
Therefore, the outside world does not know that the area below 26,000 feet is a dangerous area, and the helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft involved fly low in the Hong Kong Flight Information Region.
"Hong Kong 01" inquired with the Security Bureau and the Civil Aviation Department respectively about the reasons why the above-mentioned helicopter was allowed to fly in the direction of Dongsha.
The Security Bureau stated that it would not disclose the details of the flight service team's voyage to prevent criminals from gaining access to favorable information.
The Civil Aviation Department only reiterated that the incident on that day had been acting in accordance with the established mechanisms and procedures, without further addition.
Tan Wenhao, a member of the Civic Party Legislative Council who was a civil aviation pilot, believes that the Civil Aviation Department has not issued flight announcements as usual.
(Photo/Photo by Lin Ruoqin)
Tan Wenhao: The Civil Aviation Department has not issued a flight announcement as usual
Tan Wenhao, a member of the Civic Party’s Legislative Council who was a former civil aviation pilot, said that although the above-mentioned helicopter flight route is not very close to the Dongsha Islands, the Civil Aviation Department has not announced the actual range of the danger zone so far, so the relevant helicopters fly low over the sky. There is also a chance to accidentally enter the dangerous area.
Regarding this incident, the Civil Aviation Department did not issue flight announcements as usual. He stated that unless the circumstances are very special, he should be informed later, describing the practice as inappropriate.
As for the Civil Aviation Department’s failure to issue a flight announcement (NOTAM) on the incident at the 26,000-foot dangerous area that day, will this move endanger aviation safety?
The ICAO’s response to the "Hong Kong 01" enquiry pointed out that for related civil and commercial aircraft operation issues, the relevant airline should be contacted, or the airline must comply with the regulations of the local aviation organization.
▼ PLA military exercises in the South China Sea and Southeast Coast ▼
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South China Morning Post: PLA air-to-air missile exercise
However, the South China Morning Post quoted a source close to the military in Beijing on the 22nd as saying that the People's Liberation Army conducted an air-to-air missile exercise in the South China Sea on the morning of the 15th and therefore refused to allow Taiwan to enter the Hong Kong flight information region at an altitude of less than 26,000 feet.
General civil aircraft can fly over 26,000 feet, but the Taiwan military charter plane involved is a double-propeller ATR 72 civil aircraft, which can only fly up to 25,000 feet.
Taiwan military charter flight rejected for the first time in 20 years
Uni Air’s chartered flights to the East Sands are on a fixed schedule. They depart at about 9 am every Thursday. They were denied entry into the Hong Kong Flight Information Region on October 15th. This is the first time in 20 years that they were denied charter flights on October 22. Cancelled due to weather.
Li Tingsheng, Deputy Chief of Staff of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, took an Air Force C-130 transport plane and flew to Dongsha Island to inspect the defense on October 20. There was no hindrance.
Taiwan’s Defense Minister Yan Defa (left) stated that he had verified that the CCP had no military exercises at that time.
President Su Zhenchang (right) criticized Hong Kong for violating international practices.
(Central News Agency)
Flight information region is not equal to airspace
The flight information region is defined by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to provide aircraft information and ensure aviation safety.
The flight information region is not the same as the airspace. The Hong Kong flight information region not only controls the airspace of Hong Kong, but also extends to approximately 370 kilometers outside Hong Kong, and the southernmost point extends to nearly 600 kilometers of airspace in the South China Sea.
The Hong Kong flight information region is adjacent to the Taipei, Guangzhou, Sanya, and Manila flight information regions.
The Taipei Information Region includes the main island of Taiwan and the east of the strait center line.
▼Dongsha Island▼
Dongsha Island Taiwan controls Hong Kong people's smuggling midway station
The Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea are Chinese territory. Both sides of the strait claim sovereignty and have been controlled by Taiwan since the Civil War between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.
The main island, Dongsha Island, is known as the "South China Sea Barrier" and guards the throat of the bus strait. It is close to Hong Kong, Shantou, and Kaohsiung. The island has a maritime patrol station and an airport.
When 12 Hong Kong people were involved in absconding to Taiwan, they were arrested by the public security in the inland waters. It is reported that their original destination was Dongsha, and some people who had smuggled to Taiwan involved anti-revision demonstrations and also came to Taiwan via Dongsha, plus cross-strait relations. Tension, Dongsha Island has become a sensitive zone.
Dongsha Island is known as the "South China Sea Barrier", guarding the throat of the Bashi Channel, and has been controlled by Taiwan.
(Dongsha Atoll National Park)
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