Nimrod bomb bay fuel leak?
Nimrod bomb bay fuel leak?
Is there any truth in the rumor that a Nimrod has recently suffered a serious fuel leak into the bomb bay post/during AAR? Not very comforting for the operators if true.
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This PQ was asked recently and answered by Ingram;
Nimrod MR2
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional checks have been made of the Nimrod MR2 fleet since the loss in Afghanistan. [92703]
Mr. Ingram: Following the loss of Nimrod MR2 XV230 in September this year, additional maintenance and safety checks have been undertaken on all of the RAF’s Nimrod MR2 aircraft. The board of inquiry is under way and it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of the crash. Given that the crew had, however, received indications of a fire it was deemed prudent to conduct a fleet-wide examination of areas
30 Oct 2006 : Column 112W
where flammable materials (such as fuel or hydraulic fluid) may be placed in relative proximity to potential sources of ignition should a leak occur. These examinations included visual inspections of the inboard wing and bomb bay areas, and pressurised functional and leak checks of the aircraft’s fuel system.
It appears to be widely accepted that this ac suffered a fuel fire/explosion and that checks were carried out on the fleet. What is not understood, as far as I can gather, is what exactly was the source of the ignition. If AAR capable Nimrods have a weakness to fuel leaks should they be continuing to carry out AAR sorties? And what is being done to address fuel tank protection?
Nimrod MR2
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional checks have been made of the Nimrod MR2 fleet since the loss in Afghanistan. [92703]
Mr. Ingram: Following the loss of Nimrod MR2 XV230 in September this year, additional maintenance and safety checks have been undertaken on all of the RAF’s Nimrod MR2 aircraft. The board of inquiry is under way and it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of the crash. Given that the crew had, however, received indications of a fire it was deemed prudent to conduct a fleet-wide examination of areas
30 Oct 2006 : Column 112W
where flammable materials (such as fuel or hydraulic fluid) may be placed in relative proximity to potential sources of ignition should a leak occur. These examinations included visual inspections of the inboard wing and bomb bay areas, and pressurised functional and leak checks of the aircraft’s fuel system.
It appears to be widely accepted that this ac suffered a fuel fire/explosion and that checks were carried out on the fleet. What is not understood, as far as I can gather, is what exactly was the source of the ignition. If AAR capable Nimrods have a weakness to fuel leaks should they be continuing to carry out AAR sorties? And what is being done to address fuel tank protection?
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You know what? It would be really helpful if this topic was just left alone for a while. Whilst I appreciate the original question was not of the XV230 accident, this sort of thread only adds speculation to an already oversubscribed groundswell of opinion from so called "experts" on PPRUNE. I readily accept that this is a RUMOUR network, but, come on guys.... with the impending funerals of those involved in the tragic Afganistan accident, can we not at least wait until the Accident Report for XV230 is out. I only think that for a relation or close friend scanning through PPRUNE to read "Nimrod...fire... Bomb Bay"etc may be somewhat upsetting. This is far from a rant. Just a close friend of a departed colleague, and I am a bit sick of a great deal of the nonsense being talked.
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In addition to the alledged fuel leak whilst AAR, Wasn't there also a ground incident recently at ISK that involved a fuel spill from somewhere inside the ac after a full refuel???
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You know what? It would be really helpful if this topic was just left alone for a while. Whilst I appreciate the original question was not of the XV230 accident, this sort of thread only adds speculation to an already oversubscribed groundswell of opinion from so called "experts" on PPRUNE. I readily accept that this is a RUMOUR network, but, come on guys.... with the impending funerals of those involved in the tragic Afganistan accident, can we not at least wait until the Accident Report for XV230 is out. I only think that for a relation or close friend scanning through PPRUNE to read "Nimrod...fire... Bomb Bay"etc may be somewhat upsetting. This is far from a rant. Just a close friend of a departed colleague, and I am a bit sick of a great deal of the nonsense being talked.
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Betty Swallox, I am sorry for your loss and I am sorry if you were offended by my post. My intention was not to add to rumours circulating about the crash, my only concern here is safety. If it is true that fuel leaks have occurred since the tragedy of XV230, and the checks that followed the tragedy, then it brings into question the soundness of the decision to continue flying AAR sorties.
XV179 was shot down on 30 Jan 05. The ac was brought down by a fuel tank explosion. Yet, 6 months earlier another Hercules took a round in the fuel tank. The crew were very lucky to survive that attack, but absolutely nothing was done to improve safety. The BoI for XV179 was published almost one year after the crash. There were difficulties obtaining certain evidence for the Board because of the extremely hostile situation on the ground. I am sure the same is true of the incident with the Nimrod. I received emails in May of this year from Nimrod aircrew who were concerned about fuel tank protection on their ac. Whilst it may not have been possible to predict the exact circumstances that caused this sad incident it is fair to ask if it is safe for AAR to continue because surely, until the BoI can identify the exact cause of the explosion, it is not possible to guarantee the safety of this ac.
I understand sensitivities regarding timing, but nothing was happening on the Hercules fleet until serious questions were asked. The imperative now is to ensure the safety of the crews at Kinloss. I am not saying this was a fuel tank explosion, I am saying that safety could be improved on the Nimrod fleet. Witness the response in the commercial world to the downing of TWA 800, and the eventual response in the C130 world, when the RAF realised what other nations had already done to improve safety.
Hope this helps.
XV179 was shot down on 30 Jan 05. The ac was brought down by a fuel tank explosion. Yet, 6 months earlier another Hercules took a round in the fuel tank. The crew were very lucky to survive that attack, but absolutely nothing was done to improve safety. The BoI for XV179 was published almost one year after the crash. There were difficulties obtaining certain evidence for the Board because of the extremely hostile situation on the ground. I am sure the same is true of the incident with the Nimrod. I received emails in May of this year from Nimrod aircrew who were concerned about fuel tank protection on their ac. Whilst it may not have been possible to predict the exact circumstances that caused this sad incident it is fair to ask if it is safe for AAR to continue because surely, until the BoI can identify the exact cause of the explosion, it is not possible to guarantee the safety of this ac.
I understand sensitivities regarding timing, but nothing was happening on the Hercules fleet until serious questions were asked. The imperative now is to ensure the safety of the crews at Kinloss. I am not saying this was a fuel tank explosion, I am saying that safety could be improved on the Nimrod fleet. Witness the response in the commercial world to the downing of TWA 800, and the eventual response in the C130 world, when the RAF realised what other nations had already done to improve safety.
Hope this helps.
Last edited by nigegilb; 9th Nov 2006 at 08:20.
