Mr Point
You say this thread is here to answer these two questions
a. Why did XV230 crash? This is needed for closure, although it will not change the past and is based on a fair amount of speculation (a great deal of which is inaccurate). The BoI SHOULD provide the facts and comprehensive recommendations, but with political pressure this MAY not be the case.
b. Can the risk be reduced? This is incredibly important for the safety of current and future Nimrod crews. I am certain that raising the profile of the case will make it more difficult for the MoD to ignore the fact that modifications need to be made to the MR2 and MRA4 to reduce the risk to crews.
Lets see then, with regards to question a, can anybody here say without doubt or heresay, guessing or speculation exactly what happened on board XV230 on september 2nd 2006 to cause the explosion. Yes there was a bomb bay fire, yes there was a fuel leak, how many of you were actually there and actually do know to be able to give a fully informed answer as to exactly why. It is only speculation otherwise.
With regards to b, that can not be answered until (a) has an answer as we do not know exactly what has to be changed to reduce those risks.
With any incident there will always be speculation, to involve the media in this actually takes the attention away from the real meaning behind what happened, especially when some things have been misleading. Remember the story of the boy who cried wolf, this may have the same effect, when there are so many ideas and guesswork going on, and so many of them hitting the media, the true facts of what happened can be overshadowed by what is false.
As I have said repeatedly, if you want change, you need the facts.
To answer the point made by another about why ask on pprune, simply because I choose not to approach the media, as the majority of the families involved have also chosen, I respect my families privacy and the other families privacy while they grieve, I also choose not to give my identity here as I have been made aware the media do use this site.
Now let me be blunt. If it were you who was blown to bits, how would you feel about knowing your family and loved ones are having all the details spread through the media. Turn on the TV, pick up a newspaper, turn on the radio, and then think if this was you, would you want your children, wife, mother, sisters or brothers hearing so many details. It's not just the plane, there were real men on board with real families and real lives now reduced to this.