Apology as Chinook pilots cleared

13 July 2011 Last updated at 13:56 GMT The Chinook helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on the west coast of Scotland in 1994 Defence Secretary Liam Fox has apologised to the families of two RAF pilots who were wrongly blamed for the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash.

Two RAF air marshals had accused Flt Lts Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook of gross negligence over the crash on Mull of Kintyre in which 29 people died.

But a fresh review found they should not have been blamed and the earlier ruling has now been set aside.

Mr Fox said he hoped this would remove any stain on the pilots' reputations.

Campaigners have spent almost two decades trying to overturn the decision to blame Flt Lts Tapper, from Norfolk, and Cook, from Hampshire, for the crash.

They claimed that the Chinook helicopter had suffered many technical problems.

'Gross negligence'

The helicopter was carrying 25 of Britain's most senior intelligence experts from Northern Ireland to a conference in Inverness.

All 29 people on board, including the four special forces crew, died when the Chinook crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, on the west coast of Scotland.

Liam Fox apologises to the families of two RAF pilots who were wrongly blamed for a helicopter crash

After an RAF board of inquiry found the most probable cause was the selection of the wrong rate of climb, a report by two air marshals - Sir William Wratten and Sir John Day - concluded the pilots were "negligent to a gross degree".

However, a Scottish fatal accident inquiry concluded it was impossible to establish the exact cause of the crash.

The RAF verdict was also criticised in separate House of Commons and House of Lords committee reports.

Successive defence secretaries resisted pressure to reopen the case, but in May last year, Dr Fox announced he was ordering a review of the evidence.

Retired judge Lord Philip, sitting in private along with a panel of three Scottish politicians, has spent nine months reviewing the accident.

He concluded that: "Because of the limited amount of evidence available, the investigating board were unable to determine the cause of the accident, and so concluded that it was impossible to find that the pilots had been negligent to any degree.

Flt Lt Cook, left, and Flt Lt Tapper were blamed for the crash

"The reviewing officers, on the other hand, concluded on the same evidence that both pilots had been negligent to a gross degree.

"We have unanimously concluded that the high standard of proof did not allow the reviewing officers to make that finding on the basis of the available evidence."

Lord Philip's review recommended that the finding of gross negligence should be set aside.

It also said that the Ministry of Defence should reconsider its policy and procedures for the transport of personnel whose responsibilities are vital to national security.

Lord Philip added that it was "regrettable" that the MoD had adopted an "intransigent stance" to calls to reconsider the findings.

Following Lord Philip's findings, Mr Fox told the House of Commons that he had now written to the relatives of the airmen to apologise for the distress caused to them by the RAF's original findings that they were guilty of "gross negligence".

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Those who ordered a finding of gross negligence have now been shown to have acted wrongly”

End Quote Professor Peter Watson Cook family spokesman He told the Commons: "I hope that this report, and the action I have taken in response to it, will bring an end to this very sad chapter by removing the stain on the reputations of the two pilots."

Professor Peter Watson, who represented the family of Flt Lt Richard Cook, said the findings of the inquiry largely reflected the conclusions of the fatal accident inquiry in 1996.

"It also reflects what the initial RAF investigation found - namely, that there was no basis to hold the pilots negligent," he said.

"The initial Board of Inquiry findings were ordered to be altered by senior officers who had not taken part in the inquiry. Many will find this extraordinary."

He added: "The version of the Chinook which crashed had been newly introduced to service and had suffered many technical problems. Indeed, the RAF themselves pursued claims for compensation arising from faults.

"Those who ordered a finding of gross negligence have now been shown to have acted wrongly. They need to explain their conduct, which has caused such hurt to the families and damaged the reputation of two fine pilots."

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Chinook crash

11 July 2011 Last updated at 17:35 GMT By Shane Harrison BBC News The Mull of Kintyre crash, just months before the IRA's 1994 ceasefire, was the RAF's worst peacetime accident.

The Chinook carrying 25 senior intelligence officers and four crew was piloted by Flt Lt Jonathan Tapper and Flt Lt Richard Cook.

On 2 June 1994 the flight took off from RAF Aldergrove and was on its way to Fort George in Inverness where those on board were due to attend a security conference.

As it approached the Scottish coast the aircraft begin to climb over the Mull of Kintyre, but then crashed into the hillside.

Alan McQuillan, a former RUC assistant chief constable, said: "These were some of the most experienced and capable people in the intelligence field in the UK, if not the world.

"These were guys that were working for 20 to 30 years and it was just a huge gap to try to replace them."

The cause of the 1994 Chinook crash has been a vexed question.

The original RAF Board of Inquiry came to no conclusion, nor did the fatal accident inquiry shortly after the crash.

Too fast

But then two air marshals, Sir William Wratten and Sir John Day, accused the two pilots of "gross negligence".

They accused the pilots, both of whom were trained by special forces, of flying too fast and too low in thick fog.

The Chinook helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on the west coast of Scotland in 1994

That judgement has long been challenged both by the pilots' families and the relatives of some of those who died on the flight.

A new review, chaired by retired judge, Lord Philip, for the Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, is expected to clear the pilots of blame.

But Sir Michael Graydon, a retired air marshal, disputes the findings of the new inquiry.

He said: "It was a terrible accident. Do you think the RAF would have blamed its pilots if there was any other reason other than air crew error? Absolutely not."

There have been a number of questions raised in recent years about the air-worthiness of the Chinook, especially about the helicopter's software, Fadec.

It controlled the Chinook's power, speed and steering.

Dr Susan Phoenix, whose husband Ian, a senior RUC officer, died in the crash, believes there has been a cover-up.

'Air-worthiness'

She said she is delighted that the pilots are about to be cleared because the case against them can not be proved beyond reasonable doubt.

"This Chinook didn't have an air-worthiness certificate and I personally only discovered that last year. Its release to service wasn't properly signed," she said.

Another widow, Ann Magee whose husband Kevin, a detective inspector, had spent 17 years in the RUC Special Branch, said she remembers being shocked when she was told at the time that the pilots would be blamed.

She is glad for the families of the pilots that the men are about to be cleared.

"I think they will feel the physical loss of the burden on their shoulders that they have carried for so long. It will be wonderful," she said.

Senior RUC officers at the time of the crash have told the BBC that neither they nor the families ever blamed the pilots for what happened.

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Chinook report 'to clear pilots'

9 July 2011 Last updated at 17:07 GMT By Tim Reid Political correspondent, BBC Scotland The Chinook helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on the west coast of Scotland in 1994 An official review into the Chinook helicopter crash in Scotland concludes the two dead pilots should not have been blamed, the BBC has learned.

Twenty-nine people died on the flight from Belfast to Inverness when it crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994.

The independent report, chaired by retired judge Lord Philip, is expected to say that the pilots should not have been accused of gross negligence.

Lord Philip's recommendations will go to the defence secretary.

In what was the RAF's worst peacetime accident, the Chinook carrying 25 of Britain's most senior intelligence experts and four crew crashed in thick fog, killing all on board.

Over nearly two decades, campaigners have sought to have Flt Lt Jonathan Tapper, from Norfolk, and Flt Lt Richard Cook, from Hampshire, cleared of blame, but successive defence secretaries have refused to overturn the findings of two RAF Air Marshals.

The two pilots were blamed for gross negligence but the conclusions have been disputed by campaigners ever since.

After a nine month inquiry, Lord Philip's recommendations have now been submitted to Defence Secretary Liam Fox, who is due to make a statement to MPs next week on the findings.

Campaigners hope that the defence secretary will posthumously clear the pilots of blame.

Susan Phoenix, the widow of Royal Ulster Constabulary counter-terrorism expert Ian Phoenix, who died in the Chinook crash, said: "If it is true I am delighted.

"I am delighted the pilots have been cleared.

"However, I am disappointed the families were not told first."

Flt Lt Cook, left, and Flt Lt Tapper were blamed for the crash

An MoD spokeswoman said it would be "inappropriate" to comment before Mr Fox made his announcement to parliament.

She said: "The defence secretary asked Lord Philip to conduct a review of the evidence considered by the Board of Inquiry into the Mull of Kintyre Chinook accident.

"An announcement on the report's findings is due to be made to parliament shortly."

The SNP's defence spokesman Angus Robertson MP, who has campaigned to exonerate the two pilots, said he hoped the report would clear them of any blame.

He added: "It is a disgrace the way the families of Flight Lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook have been treated by successive administrations and it is time that the record was officially set straight."

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