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and the United States as the Nation of Manufacture can "observe" the investigation, but the nationality of deceased passengers has no legal effect.

(2) The fact that the aircraft was the private property of a Canadian corporation gives that corporation no right to immediate possession of the wreckage and its ultimate recovery of the property is dependent on a designation by the Canadian Government.

(3) The fact of Canadian certification of the pilots raises no legal right which permits the Canadian Government to investigate the performance of the crew. However, because Canada is the Nation of Registry, her "accredited representative" would be permitted to participate in the inquiry under the control of the Japanese Government.

(4) Since the plane was manufactured in the United States, if the accident occurred after August 25, 1966, our Government could participate in the investigation but the company that built the aircraft has no such authority.

All that has been said before provides a proper setting for a rule of thumb which you may use as a working tool in your understanding of international accident investigations.

The state of occurrence is responsible for the accident investigation, and there is now an internationally recognized right to access to the Nation of Manufacture and the Nation of Registry.

An understanding of the international rules is important because those rules can be used as a vehicle for obtaining information through governmental agencies in the United States. In the next few weeks the new Department of