AAIB in Military Accidents
keithl,
As far as the investigation of the cause of the accident I would have no problem with supporting your solution for an investigation outside the Command Chain, and I said "or" in my original post. If I understand correctly though the BoI can no longer rule on blame, and this decision and any discplinary action still remains within the Command Chain, and hence potentially open to the bias of the opinions of VSOs - wouldn't it be better if this was a decision for an independent entity equivalent to say the Police/CPS? None of this is perfect and I don't have a Utopian vision of the AAIB and CPS getting everything right - but I don't want to see another person found guilty of gross negligence based on speculation either. For all its faults I do not think the CPS would have gone anywhere near that route had they been involved with the Mull of Kintyre - and incidentally I would still like to see the legal opinion given at the time that said the VSOs were right to go down that route. If I remember rightly the SofS stated that the VSOs were honourable men, and it was a junior officer in the RAF's Legal Branch (working alone?) who gave this advice - really, for such a high profile accident! If it was then publish the advice and confirm when and who gave it (not necessarily by name - the appointment will do).