Look Bingo, I did not say "well known", it was the IPTL (Gp Capt) who made that statement. What I quoted in my earlier posting is as stated in the report on an SFS raised on 3rd Sept (one day after the crash) for XV255 follow AAR. If something is "well known" on 3rd, then it is reasonable, for any normal person, to think that it was known about before that date.
And, I am not saying that aircrew go off flying into the blue with fuel dripping from the airframe, but they will go if IPT says that certain defects are within newly defined limits. Ground ground crews will serice to the same limits. Operation Medusa started on 2nd Sept and it was important that Nimrods were available at that time. Using MoD's own definitions, unacceptable risks are tolerable under exceptional circumstances.
DV