FLIGHT CONTROL DEPARTMENT ISSUES STATEMENT ON NEWSPAPER ARTICLES O

O $ N U.S. PLANE CRASH ZAGREB, 15 April (Hina) - The flight control department in the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications on Monday issued a statement in which it 'most resolutely refused insinuations about the alleged lack of safety of earth radio and navigation equipment at Dubrovnik airport as a possible cause of the recent U.S. 'Boeing 737' plane crash. #L# The statement was prompted by "newspaper articles on 'scandalously bad equipment' at Dubrovnik airport". "It is true that Dubrovnik airport is not equipped as it used to be due to war devastation, but the international landing procedure suits that level of equipment and possible departures from that procedure affect the safety of the flight', the statement said. 'It has been established that the navigation instruments and other technical equipment were correct at the time of the accident and the safety of the flight was complete', the statement said. Croatia had received 22 million dollars from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for equipment and education of personnel. Croatia's share was 4,2 million dollars for the construction of infrastructure. It is expected that the construction of infrastructure would be completed by mid 1997, the statement said. The flight control department also recalled that the value of the equipment which was stolen and destroyed by the so-called Yugoslav army was estimated at 80 million dollars. Airports in Dubrovnik, Pula, Zadar and Osijek were completely destroyed. Equipment at Split and Zagreb airports were partially damaged. Rijeka airport was the only undamaged airport. (hina) rm jn 152103 MET apr 96