Chinook 1994 helicopter crash families criticise MoD for ‘losing moral compass’

Families of the victims of the 1994 RAF Chinook crash have hit out at the Ministry of Defence for refusing a public inquiry into the incident and sealing key documents for 100 years.

Relatives of the 29 victims who died on the aircraft have written to the Prime Minister to demand a full, independent, judge-led public inquiry to establish the truth into the disaster, accusing the MoD of “losing its moral compass”.

RAF Chinook ZD576 crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on its way from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George in Scotland, and all 25 passengers and four crew members were killed in the incident.

A verdict of gross negligence against the pilots, flight lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, from a review into the incident by two senior RAF officers in 1995 was overturned by the Government in 2011 after a 16-year campaign by the families.

Relatives have now written to the Prime Minister to intervene and are seeking a judicial review in the High Court.

Chris Cook, whose brother Richard was one of the pilots killed in the disaster, said: “In the BBC documentary that was shown early last year, what came to light was that the official documents to do with the accident have been sealed for 100 years by the Ministry of Defence.

“We weren’t aware of that. There was news to me when I watched the programme.

“And so it seems rather suspicious to us that the documents are going to be locked away for such a long time.”

He added: “We campaigned for 16 years to clear the pilots’ names and so many times we were given indications that information didn’t exist.

“Based on the experience we had in our campaign, they wanted us to go away – simple as that.

“But my late father always said justice has no expiry dates.

“Sadly, he passed away before we cleared Rick’s name.

“He never got to see that, he died six years beforehand.

“But those words mean an awful lot, it means don’t give up.

“You know if you think that an injustice is being done, you keep fighting for it.”

Mr Cook says there are 47 individuals that lost their fathers in the crash, most of whom were children and some not yet born, who have lived their whole lives without answers.

Jenni Balmer Hornby, daughter of Anthony Hornby who was killed in the disaster, said: “It was a week before my 10th birthday when the crash happened and so obviously I wasn’t old enough to go to any of the earlier inquiries, but my mum went to those.

“For some time she felt that it was an accident because of these inquiries.

“But now we know that the full information wasn’t given, so we know over time that these inquiries were completely ineffective.

“I think it’s very clear to myself and everyone in the campaign that the MoD have lost their moral compass – I’m so certain now that the MoD is hiding something.

“I can’t go another 31 years not knowing what happened to my father.

“Him and his colleagues risk their life for their country and in return, we have just been dismissed and fed lies for three decades and we all deserve a lot better.”

Andy Tobias, who was just eight when his father John Tobias went on board RAF Chinook ZD576, has branded the response from the MoD as a “betrayal”.

He said: “(It’s been) really tough.

“My brother and myself have not had a father, he’s not been around to direct us through the challenges that you face in life.

“You never get over it but you learn to live with it.

“For us, the MoD have really let us down as families.

“It’s been a complete betrayal to all of those men who boarded that flight and gave their life and service.

“If my father knew that his family were fighting so hard to get answers and to get the truth, he would be turning in his grave.

Sue Sparks, whose husband Gary was killed in the crash, said: “I think it would give us closure.

“Over the 30 years, we were led to believe it was an accident, which it wasn’t.

“It could have been prevented.

“The helicopter was declared unairworthy and they were made to fly in it.

“It makes us feel angry and not treated properly by the MoD.