The government will pay for the investigation and salvage expenses caused by aircraft accidents involving commercial airlines, public aircraft and ultralights if the legislature passes a new aviation law.
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the aviation accident investigation law (
The draft would also impose fines on those refusing or failing to cooperate with the government's efforts to investigate aircraft accidents.
Under the draft, the Aviation Safety Council would become the Aviation Safety Investigation Board. The board would be responsible for investigating "aviation occurrences" involving commercial or public aircraft or ultralights other than those operated by Taiwanese armed forces or intelligence agencies.
"Aviation occurrence" is defined as any accident or incident associated with the operation of an aircraft, and any situation or condition that the board has reasonable grounds to believe could, if left unattended, induce an accident or incident.
The draft also stipulates that the board must shoulder expenses related to the investigation of an aviation occurrence, salvage and transportation of the data-recording devices and wreckage of the aircraft.
The board would also be empowered to request information, interviews or assistance from certain people or agencies.
Those refusing to respond to the accident and assist the board in the investigation efforts would face a fine of between NT$600,000 and NT$3 million.
Those providing false information or failing to provide related information without reasonable grounds would receive a fine of between NT$500,000 and NT$2.5 million.
While the aviation safety investigation board would be the only party responsible for making public the investigation information, unauthorized personnel leaking information could face a fine of more than NT$60,000 and up to NT$300,000.
Besides the draft aviation accident investigation law, the Cabinet yesterday also approved the draft bill of the organic law of the aviation safety investigation board (行政院飛航安全調查委員會組織條例) and draft amendments to the Civil Aviation Law (民用航空法).
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