tuc, your post #1618 is an indication to anyone who wishes to see beyond their only little corner that nothing here is new, but merely the latest consequence of a ball that was set rolling in 1987.
As you say, the MAA is unable to stop its inexorable progress of gathering more accidents and more lives in its path other than by grounding entire fleets, be they Nimrods or Vigilants. That is because it lacks the prime need of any Regulator, that of independence. It is instead shackled to the operator, the MOD and its subsidiary Armed Forces, that has a higher priority than Air Safety, which is to cover up illegal actions by retired VSO's.The same goes for the Investigator, the MilAAIB, which is shackled to the Regulator as well as the Operator. All three need to be separated from each other to do their work, or the ball will go on gathering yet more casualties.
If "multiple fatality crash in 2003" refers to a multiple crash as much as to multiple fatalities, I assume that to be the mid-air collision between two Sea King baggers that killed all 7 occupants. Yet another example of where pre-existing airworthiness shortcomings were not made known to the invstigation by the Regulator (aka the MOD), and which is a matter of controversy still.
Independence is not a bonus, it is essential in maintaining Air Safety!