Would it therefore help if we chose one of the known defects which was evident on Mk2 Chinooks at the time of the Mull accident?
Although there is no evidence that it contributed to the accident, the defect which interests me is the problem of intermittent contact in the DECU connector, caused by vibration. It particularly interests me because:
a) it is one of the few bits of relevant technology that I know anything about, and
b) it horrifies me that anyone in their right mind would fly an aeroplane when thay have to check a vital connector every 15 minutes, and
c) it was a simple problem which could easily be rectified.
One assumes that it is not current practice for a member of the crew to check this connector every 15 minutes when flying the Chinook. So, something must have been changed.
From reading the many valuable and informative posts by tucemseh, I would identify that problem as an airworthiness issue. The fact that MoD appear to have no record of corrective action seems to reinforce that. Who was it who decided that it was safe to fly as long as the connector was checked every 15 minutes? Why not 10 minutes? Without that information there is no way that the Chinook Mk2 could be considered airworthy, even today.