BEagle
The quote was from the BOI's assessment of the Wx forecast; ie the planning for the flight SHOULD have been for "flight in accordance with IFR in the vicinity of the Mull of Kintyre". It was not; and was not so conducted. Moreover, the witness statements from those on the Mull at the time of the accident leave no doubt as to the unsuitability of the Wx for VFR flight. I would draw your attention to the statements from the hillwalkers who heard the impact, felt the heat of the fireball and were enveloped in smoke but saw nothing until they stumbled into the wreckage some 100 metres later.
It was not the C in C or AOC who processed the aircraft into Service. That was the Controller of Aircraft, after the Chinook had been assessed by A&AEE. The release to service use of an aircraft type is his responsibility unless that aircraft is one that has been adopted without modification from the Civil Register.
I find it difficult to believe that A&AEE were aware of a significant safety problem with the Chinook Mk2 but that no action was taken because the Commandant was unavailable. IF, however. that was the case then that lets the AOC and CinC "off the hook" because they were utilising an asset that had been cleared by A&AEE without any knowledge of a potential problem.