Yes, really good post Engines, thank you. I'm afraid that my distrust of the MOD regarding suborning of the Regulations and the subsequent cover up, would not enable me to have confidence in any Board that came under its umbrella though. I am now starting to worry about Nuclear, Explosives, and Ship Safety, but one thing at a time perhaps.
One thing that you mentioned confuses me though, ie:-
I'd take the accident investigators out of MAA, relocate them into the AAIB, and require all three Commands to provide properly trained and accredited investigators to that organisation
Why on earth should Air Accident Investigators be within the MAA in the first place? As soon as we have yet another airworthiness related Military Air Accident, will we have Investigators employed by the Regulatory Authority responsible for that Airworthiness investigating it? How does that work, other than very badly?
Splas1983, this is
all about Flight Safety (or Air Safety if you insist). It is also
all about independence, the lack of which led to the "malaise that befell certain IPTs" and a whole lot more.
As for SQEPs (who invents this dross?), the MOD used to be awash with them, and very "Q" and very "E" every man jack of them was! It sacked them, or at least the ones that would not obey illegal orders to suborn the Regs. That is what must never happen again. The MAA as it exists now, together with the MAAIB, cannot ensure that it won't.