I didn't intend to keep going round this, but as you were referring to my post let's have one more turn round the dance floor ...
and it is not true that no one at High Wycombe agreed.
Well I don't know for certain because I wasn't there, but I have it first-hand from someone who was. I trust the officer in question, so that's good enough for me.
'This problem began much earlier in the RAF' what is that supposed to mean?
The HC2 programme was, by several accounts, a disaster of epic proportions. Aircraft were returned from upgrade with numerous faults which took years to resolve, and the issues were largely swept under the carpet to avoid embarrassment to all concerned. More than that, management decisions to deploy aircraft with the multitude of issues, and to refuse the crew's request to use the Mk1, not to mention sending an aircraft not cleared for icing conditions into a task which would almost inevitably encounter such conditions are at least partially to blame.
The problem began just short of the Mull. It may not be the custom to pin gross negligence without proof absolute, OK, but how else can you explain this accident?
I can't explain the accident, nor can you. Unless you believe that lack of evidence of a fault proves there was no technical fault (and FADEC faults leave no evidence - no black box) here are several credible possibilities, some more likely than others, but that's not enough to prove anything.
The procedure in those conditions would be to slow down, mantain visual referrences and if necessary land on the beach, so why didn't they?
I don't know, and neither do you
All the nonsence about the aircrafts fitness to fly in icing, fadec problems etc etc are red herrings. We haven't, before or after this incident, had Chinooks throwing themselves into rocks
Both us and the Americans had plenty of documented incidents at the time of the CH47D / HC2, some of which included the aircraft throwing itself at the ground (and narrowly missing, thankfully). Sqn Ldr Burke had several experiences at Boscombe which would make your hair curl.
The BoI (and I'm quoting it directly here) says
"The Chinook HC2 had experienced a number of unforseen malfunctions, mainly associated with the engine control system, including undemanded engine shutdowns, engine run-up" I'm not sure I'd want to fly myself in an aircraft with that sort of history, far less put 25 VIP's in the thing. Whoever thought that was a good idea deserves a negligence charge himself.
And here I will rest my case, recognising that there will always be people who don't agree.