AC Ovee,
Thank you for your reply, but as you conclude, we do not agree.
Can you honestly, at any time in your carreer, tell us what other aircraft has EVER experienced the same problems that the Nimrod fleet are curreently experiencing with AAR and fuel leaks? Because I too have flown one or two other military aircraft, all with AAR facilities, and I can categorically assure you that none of them ever had the same level of problems that the MR2's are having. My concern is that you seem to be simply dismissing all of these events in a quite bizarre way. These incidents really happened, and good men died as a result. You give the impression that these incidents no more than a routing operating hazard, but I don't agree. Am I wrong in that assumption? The fact remains that in the last 12 - 18 months, there ahave been a number of incidents, all relating to Fuel leaks and all relating to AAR. Doesn't that concern you just a little bit? And after the 235 incident, are you still as confident with the aircraft as you were before it?
Thank you for explaing what has been done in the Bomb Bay (post XV230) to illiminate the ignition source. But are you now saying that there is NO electrical current running through any wiring systems located in the bomb bay duriong AAR? If there is, even just one, then that is a source of ignition. Thats all it needs, just one little tiny spark. Just read the accident report on the TWA 800 jet, where a single, low voltagle cable brought down the aircraft. There are no aircraft that I know that have naked flames as a matter of course. The flames eminates from a spark or something of that nature, and that is why it is vital that the cause of the fuel leak/pipe failure, whatever, is located. The aircraft is old. The wiring is old, and it is impossible to guarantee the integrity of every bit of wiring on the aircraft I would suggest. Sparks will and do occur. Something ignited XV230 and something else could have ignited 235. To sit back and wait for it to happen again and then look for 'another' solution or fix is madness surely?
The use of a MAYDAY was, IMHO, fully justified, particularly in the hostile environment the crew faced. As it was, their distress call wasn't even answered and had to be relayed by the Tristar. Now, if you need immediate help, like they felt they did, then to NOT use a Distress call would have been irresponsible. As you well know from your training, you can always downgrade it to a Pan or even cancel it. I take it therefore, that in your opinion, the crew were wrong for declaring an emergency?
I think that your comment 'we do not cater for double faults' may well prove to be the crux of the problems you are facing on the Nimrod fleet. The fact that the aircraft is old and tired, is reason enough why you SHOULD be catering for double faults and even more possibly. Modern aircraft have faults granted, but I don't think I have ever had two faults occuring within the same system at the same time on the same aircraft etc. Do you see what I'm getting at? My aircraft is modern and quite new, yours is not, and thereby lies your biggest problem.
I do not blame you or the groundcrew in any way whatsoever. The groundcrew, in particular, are being put in an appalling position by IPT organisations and others who are coming up with, what I consider to be, knee-jerk reactions and 'solutions' to, what is, a very major and serious problem. My dig at CAS and AOC 2Gp is that they are ultimately playing with peoples lives at the end of the day, and that is not right. It is unfair and wrong that you are being further put at risk, in an already risky environment by lack of funding to fix the current problems with your aircraft, as well as getting it right on the MRA4, but that's another argument. The fact that CAS and AOC 2 Gp are not taking this problem by the ba££s and saying, 'no more flying until we sort it' is, I believe, irresponsible, negligent and seriously lacking in judgement.
And finally, let me just say that I do believe that AAR is safe. I did it for many years, on a number of aircraft and I can only ever recount one incident when I had a problem, and that was when the probe tip got snapped off and stayed in the basket. However, do I feel that it is safe at the moment in the MR2? Absolutely not Sir!
The Winco