Smartman,
I concur with your thoughts, well put.
JP, The campaign began only because the RAF's own requirements for standards of proof were ignored. As we all know, this had major ramifications for the pilots' families, who were in no way to blame for the accident, whatever the circumstances.
The over-ruling of the verdict of the BOI stank (still does) because of the debacle of the introduction into service of the aircraft type and the apparent flouting of the requirement for a Controller Aircraft Release to Service. While Boscombe test pilots refused to fly theirs 10 minutes up the road to Odiham for maintenance, and MOD were suing the manufacturer, this crew was ordered to fly an aircraft full of some of the most important intelligence personnel in the NI theatre.
I don't think any of us can look at the available evidence and say that the pilots didn't make errors (I think their worst mistake was to take off, although I understand the pressure they were under).
However, take a look at the big picture! Major management errors were also surely made and the Air Marshalls themselves are surely responsible for them, directly or indirectly.
The(ir) decision to over-rule the findings of Wing Commander Pulford, President of the BOI could be interpreted as a method of negating the requirement for further questions to be asked, on a wider scale, about the premature introduction of the Chinook Mk2.
The final cause of this accident is still unknown.
Last edited by ShyTorque; 17th Jan 2003 at 09:10.