Relatives of victims from the 1994 RAF Chinook helicopter crash held a "constructive" meeting with UK ministers in London on Tuesday, but voiced concerns that evidence they presented may have been new to government officials. The development raises questions about what material was reviewed when the Prime Minister previously rejected calls for a judge-led public inquiry into the disaster that killed 29 people.
Representatives of the Chinook Justice Campaign met with Lord Vernon Coaker, Al Carns and Louise Sandher-Jones to present their case for reopening the investigation. Andy Tobias, whose father Lieutenant Colonel John Tobias died in the crash, said: «Ministers listened to us, engaged seriously, and we took them through our briefing pack and the evidence we hold. We now have a commitment that they will review all of this material in detail, which is welcome.»
New evidence raises questions
Tobias highlighted a troubling concern after the session. «The strong impression we came away with was that some of the evidence we presented was new to them,» he said. «If that is the case, it raises a serious question: what evidence was actually reviewed when our request for a public inquiry was rejected?»
Susan Phoenix, whose husband Ian Phoenix was killed in the crash, called for direct Prime Ministerial involvement. «We welcomed the opportunity to meet ministers today, but we have repeatedly asked to meet the Prime Minister, and we continue to do so,» she said. «If the evidence we presented today has not previously been reviewed, then we believe the Prime Minister must look at this personally and reconsider the decision to deny us a public inquiry.»
The 1994 tragedy
The RAF Chinook helicopter crashed on June 2, 1994, at the Mull of Kintyre while flying from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness. Twenty-five intelligence experts and four crew members died. The initial finding of pilot error was overturned in 2011, but families say crucial questions remain unanswered. Some files related to the incident are sealed for 100 years.
The campaign has gathered more than 52,000 petition signatures and delivered a letter to Downing Street in October. Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood, who represented cross-party MPs at the meeting, said: «While a constructive meeting, we firmly believe that this case should be the test case for the Government's commitment to a duty of candour. Some of that was on show today – and we hope for a lot more.»
Lord Coaker acknowledged the families' suffering. «The loss of so many brave and dedicated personnel and civilian staff in the Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragedy,» he said. «I recognise the agony of those who lost loved ones and understand that the lack of certainty about the causes of the crash has added to their distress. We have committed to continued engagement with the Chinook Justice Campaign.»
The Ministry of Defence has previously stated the accident has been subject to six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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