Son of Chinook 1994 helicopter crash victim visits memorial and asks for answers

The son of a victim of the RAF 1994 Chinook helicopter crash is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene and allow a public inquiry after visiting the site of the disaster.

RAF Chinook ZD576 was carrying 25 British intelligence personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to a conference at Fort George near Inverness when it crashed in foggy weather on June 2, 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland.

All 25 passengers – made up of personnel from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army – were killed, along with the helicopter’s four crew members.

Joel Hornby, whose father, Major Anthony Hornby, was one of the victims, visited a memorial cairn at the crash site on Saturday and again on Sunday.

He and other families have said they will press on with seeking a judicial review after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) dismissed their demands for a judge-led public inquiry into the incident, and have written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer asking him to intervene.

Mr Hornby, who was seven when his father died, visited the site with his one-year-old son and laid a wreath at the cairn along with a note which read “Dad, we are still fighting for you”.

Speaking afterwards Mr Hornby, who lives in Berlin in Germany, said: “We, the families of those lost, have still been denied answers over 30 years on.

“The MoD has rejected our request for a full judge-led public inquiry, and furthermore, has sealed documents relating to the crash for 100 years.

“We are requesting that the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer live up to his promises on duty of candour and overrule the MoD’s decision.”

He has also urged people to sign a change.org petition calling on the Prime Minister to overturn the MoD decision and release the documents.

Following the crash, the Chinook’s pilots, Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, were accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned by the UK Government 17 years later following a campaign by the families.

A subsequent review by Lord Philip set out “numerous concerns” raised by those who worked on the Chinooks, with the MoD’s testing centre at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire declaring the Chinook Mk2 helicopters “unairworthy” prior to the crash.

In a statement after the calls made by the families on Friday an MoD spokesperson said: “The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died.

“We understand that the lack of certainty about the cause of the crash has added to the distress of the families.

“We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new public inquiry.

“It’s unlikely that a public inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence.

“The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review.”

The MoD has been asked if it wishes to make further comment.