The F15 accident
In support of Tarnished:
The full findings of the Board of Inquiry can be found on the MOD UK website. I have only had a very brief read and will reply more thoroughly after a proper look at the full report.
In essence, it would appear that the full reporting chain still believe the F15s followed a straight line descent in IMC into the ground. To support their theory, they believe that the eyewitnesses saw Tornados (AXIS formation) and not the F15s. This despite the leader of AXIS formation stating at the Court Martial that the flight was flying in loose trail and not in close formation as the eyewitnesses reported the F15s. The F15s crashed in very close formation. Further to that, AXIS formation landed 30 minutes before the estimated time of the crash.
If the new BoI has persuaded the leader of AXIS formation to change his recollection of their route on the day to coincide with eye witness positions then surely perjury will have been committed? The original verbal testimony of the route was given under oath at the GCM and a map of the route was presented as an exhibit (I have a copy of that map). The only other aircraft in the area that day were the F15s. The eyewitnesses could not have seen the Tornados on the route given in evidence.
One of the crassest questions asked by the chief prosecutor (and there were quite a few) at the GCM was : " If you take away the eyewitnesses, there is no evidence that the aircraft were seen to the east of Ben McDui, isn't that true?"
The original BoI was accused of fudging evidence to fit their theory of the cause of the accident; I hope this latest saga is not a repeat performance. The RAF seems to find eyewitnesses very inconvenient !! The subject aircraft overflew 2 of the eyewitnesses at something like 250' in close formation, they then overflew another eyewitness in a matter of seconds having altered heading. I would suggest that fast jets in loose trail almost constitute 2 sightings, not one.
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