SNP Westminster Leader and Defence Spokesperson, Angus Robertson MP, has hit out at the MoD after fresh evidence emerged suggesting the Mull of Kintyre Chinook disaster may have been caused by a computer fault, and not human error.

The SNP have long campaigned to exonerate Flight Lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook who were wrongfully blamed by the MoD for the 1994 crash which killed all 29 people on board.

Commenting o the situation, Mr Robertson, who tabled a motion in the UK Parliament in 2002 calling for the MoD’s conclusion to be overturned, said: ‘The initial RAF internal finding, the Fatal Accident Inquiry, and a House of Lords report all concluded that there was no evidence that the pilots were to blame. This latest evidence undermines the MoD’s false conclusion even further.

‘The position of the MoD is untenable, and their hurtful and flawed verdict cannot be allowed to stand.

‘The pilots – both of whom had unblemished flying records – must be exonerated.

‘The families of Flight Lieutenants Tapper and Cook deserve the full facts – both of how their sons died and why they were made scapegoats for this tragedy’.

Jim Mather, Argyll and Bute’s MSP, has responded immediately to our approach, saying: ‘My position on this has been clear from the outset and it is as follows: it is plain wrong to blame the people in any complex system, when problems occur.

‘Experience over the years has taught me that scapegoating the people who were involved prevents openness, a true understanding of what happened and a chance to remedy matters in the future.

‘The tragedy cannot be undone but the view from Flight Lieutenant Tapper’s father that this is now ‘a matter of honour’ is one that the MoD must listen to, recognising that they made a grave error and that now is the time to rectify that error.

‘And I stand 100% behind the statement issued by Angus Robertson MP today’ (above).

Mr Mather is on the record as consistently calling for a review of the RAF Enquiry’s findings against the two dead pilots. In 2004 the news broke that John Major, Prime Minister at the time of the tragedy in 1994, had said that he had come to feel that a grave injustice had been done. Mr Mather then said:

‘Surely now there will be a rethink by the MoD authorities on this topic.

‘Ever since the Chinook crashed, the cause of the accident has been debated and examined closely with more and more people believing that a grotesquely unfair conclusion was reached.

‘The original verdict, which accused the two pilots with gross negligence was taken by two senior RAF officers, both heavy in rank and in years, who have since retired.

‘No evidence to corroborate their finding is or was available and the verdict is in direct contrast to the conclusions of many investigative bodies and an increasing number of influential individuals. The latest to call for a change of heart and a decision to clear the names of the pilots is John Major, who was Prime Minister at the time of the accident.

‘He joins with a powerful body of opinion. The pilots have been cleared by the findings of the Scottish Fatal Accident Inquiry that followed the crash, by investigations from the Commons Defence Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. A specially convened committee from the House of Lords also found that there was no evidence to blame the pilots. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, Defence Secretary at the time of the incident has since withdrawn his support from the MoD findings and many individuals have indicated their concern at the intransigence of the MoD and the distress that their action has had on the grieving families of the pilots. I see that the Church and Nation Committee of the Church of Scotland meeting at their General Assembly next week are to renew their concern at this verdict and call on the MoD “to reconsider the judgement.

‘It is surely now time that the present Prime Minister, Tony Blair, instructed his Defence Secretary to set aside this clearly unsatisfactory verdict. As John Major has said, “We owe justice to the dead. I am not persuaded that they have had it.’

Related Posts

• Reid says Government should simply overturn Chinook verdict (0)
• McGrigor gets Conservative Party commitment to Independent Inquiry into 1994 Kintyre Chinook crash (8)
• MoD knew Chinook software was ‘positively dangerous’ BEFORE 1994 Machrihanish crash (1)
• Des Browne: very unusual retiral statement from a former Defence Secretary (2)
• Computer Weekly publishes full texts of leaked MoD documents damning Chinook Mk2 FADEC (0)

---

The Latest News from ForArgyll delivered via email, weekly or daily. You know it makes sense!

---

Comments (rss) | Respond | Ping | | Print This Post