All an Armourer would have done to make a seat safe for Maintenance would be to fit the main gun sear. True, it is good practice to have checked the other pins as a matter of course. The aircrew are the only people that move the firing handle pin from flight stowage to safe for parking and vice versa during the normal day (unless they are instructing an armourer to do so). It is their responsibility to check they are fitted correctly too. I know the Mk 9 seat had a similar issue with the firing handle and was always mentioned on the AAES 6 monther. However this design issue and errors/lapses made by everyone involved would not have ended in tragic circumstances if another known design fault had been tackled or mentioned by MB years ago. That is the biggest failure IMHO.
The MoD report will put the meat on the inquest bones.
Last edited by Alber Ratman; 29th Jan 2014 at 13:49.