Originally Posted by
Top West 50
. In accordance with the legal guidance at the time, I did not find any of the crew to have been negligent (despite a lot of compelling evidence). I should think, but I don't know, that the President of the Chinook Board came to his conclusions in a similar way? I am sure, however, that he and his members did their honest best with the information they had at the time to discharge their duty in accordance with the direction of the Convening Authority. I apologise if this is obvious to other readers but the Convening Authority need not accept the findings of the Board, either in whole or part. All that became a matter of public record and it must stand. Grievance, I suggest, should be a different process.
"With the information they had at the time", Well, we know that they didn't have access to the one Chinook pilot who had probably more experience of flying and engine control malfunctions than most, the Odiham Station Test Pilot. He wasn't called and was ordered by his Station Commander to not put himself forward. Nor were they informed that the CA clearance was for "switch on use only", ie the aircraft was not cleared to fly in RAF service.
"Convening Authority need not accept the findings of the Board, either in whole or part.". Indeed, and therein lies the Achilles Heel of the RAF/MOD Air Safety system, whereby the perpetrators, ie those operating an aircraft with an illegal RTS can override a BoI that does not produce the required result, ie finding the pilots to be Grossly Negligent! That is why Air Accident Investigation (and Air Safety Regulation) must be independent of the operator (the RAF/MOD).
"All that became a matter of public record and it must stand. Grievance, I suggest, should be a different process". No, it mustn't stand, it must be challenged and reform enacted! The cover up must end; it has cost lives, treasure, and UK Air Power. It will go on doing so unless it ends and Air Safety reform is commenced.
Not sure what the last sentence even means. Care to explain?