Caz
“Your viewpoint is not shared by MOD or HMG”.
I’m sorry Caz, but the views of the MoD and HMG are irredeemably tainted. Their willingness to deceive and constant refusal to answer reasonable questions makes me deeply cynical of their motives. I think many share this view but, as ever, you are perfectly entitled to yours.
“Can you quote any instance of a fault occurring on a Chinook Mk2 in the last 12 years that would, if it had occurred on ZD576, have caused the accident and disappeared completely without trace?”
Yes, witnessed personally, but I’m not about to publish it in open forum. (Clearly I cannot state categorically it would have caused an accident, but I can say with absolutely certainty that it was, in my view, sufficiently serious that if I were responsible for the aircraft I would not have allowed it to fly and would have ordered a fleet inspection. There speaks a certified MoD a/c inspector, for what it's worth). The MoD was advised but you would have to ask them what, if anything, they did, as they spoke no further to me (or the other witnesses). The key word is intermittent, and any a/c maintainer will tell you they are the worst type of faults to trace, as they can often be very serious but impossible to replicate. Apprentices learn that on day 1. However, the issue of a fault is less relevant to our case given the MoD’s own admission that the aircraft nav system suffered from design defects – something far more serious.
To refer back to a previous post I made, we should not fall into the trap of accepting the MoD inference that, if (any) aircraft can take off/fly/land it is therefore serviceable and safe. This could not be further from the truth. In the 3 years preceding the accident the MoD (specifically AMSO/AML) went to great lengths to slash the budget which had previously ensured (as far as possible) that the avionic systems were safe/serviceable/at the latest mod state. Over 25% each year. The result was avionic kit fitted to a/c with many mods missing, from both the kit and the aircraft documentation. (This is open source in NAO and SC reports and was referred to on ZD576). Perhaps not Class As (although I can cite attempts to prevent even these safety critical mods being procured), but certainly Class B/C/Ds. The MoD knows this, and they almost certainly know it compromises their position. It is why they will not debate the subject, preferring to give unrelated and even nonsensical answers in the hope we will give up.