UK - Chinook Mystery...Did Computer Glitch Cause Crash?

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NEW CHINOOK INQUIRY REJECTED

June 14, 2000

There will be no new investigation into the fatal 1994 Chinook crash, the Government said on Wednesday, rejecting new doubts over the original verdict.

The RAF Chinook hit a hill on the Mull of Kintyre (left), killing all 29 people on board - 25 of whom were Northern Ireland intelligence experts. The accident was blamed, after an official inquiry, on the "gross negligence" of the two pilots.

Armed Forces Minister John Spellar reiterated that finding. "By flying too fast and too low in fog and in a hilly area they were breaching safe flying rules," he said.

Uncertainties

He was reacting to a media outcry after the Lord Advocate of Scotland appeared to suggest there was insufficient evidence to blame the pilots. New evidence suggests there may have been software failures in the helicopter's computer equipment.

In fact Colin Boyd QC says his comments have been misinterpreted. Although he had admitted that the latest evidence "may be thought to reinforce an inconclusive verdict", he was not calling for a new inquiry, he said.

Sense of doubt

The MoD has refused to reopen the investigation into the tragedy, despite a growing sense of doubt by relatives of the dead, RAF officers and defence officials that the findings may have been flawed.

Last month three fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society put forward other theories for the loss of the helicopter. All involved technical failures. There has been no direct allegation of sabotage, despite the importance of the aircraft's passengers.

Commenting on the development, Conservative defence spokesman Robert Key said: "This has all the hallmarks of a miscarriage of justice. The verdict should be overturned or a new independent inquiry established." Mr Key went on: "The only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain. In the interests of natural justice the verdict of gross negligence against the two dead pilots should be set aside." UK STORIES http://www.sky.com/news/uk/story9.htm

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), June 14, 2000

Answers

Hi, Dee,

Thanks for your earlier comment on the aviation info I've reported. This one is unrelated to your article here, but I did not want to start a new thread about it because I cannot find the article. Under Newsday's breaking news this morning is a headline "Newark Jet Hits Terminal Wall," but the link to the article is already dead. (?) Mind keeping your eye open for another article on it? Thanks.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), June 14, 2000.


Okay Rachel...I'll keep eyes open and start LQQKing.

Dee :)

-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), June 14, 2000.


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