Da4orce
I realise this is an emotive subject - and you are far better informed than me. But just a thought in reply to comments like....'the list of faults with the jet ran into the hundreds'.... which will have a strong impact on most laypeople.
I once flew on a civy widebody (300+) seater, where about 1 in 3 of the rear seat entertainment centres (approx 100) weren't working. Thus this jet had at least 100 faults - but did that mean it wasn't safe to fly? Just trying to show that such comments need to be seen in context - I am most definitely not saying whether XV230 was, or was not, safe to fly on that fateful day!!
By the way..... Tappers Dad. From what I know of RAF aircraft usage I would be very surprised if any Nimrod MR2 flew 2,000 hours in less than one year!
Best wishes in your quest for answers!