RAF Chinook families demand inquiry after MoD seals files

Families of the 29 victims who died in the 1994 RAF Chinook crash have accused the Ministry of Defence of "losing its moral compass" after it refused a public inquiry and sealed key documents for 100 years. The relatives have written to the Prime Minister demanding a full, independent, judge-led public inquiry to establish the truth about the disaster.

RAF Chinook ZD576 crashed on the Mull of Kintyre whilst flying from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George in Scotland. All 25 passengers and four crew members were killed in the incident.

Pilots' names cleared after campaign

A verdict of gross negligence against the pilots, flight lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, from a 1995 review by two senior RAF officers was overturned by the Government in 2011. This followed a 16-year campaign by the families to clear their names.

Relatives have now written to the Prime Minister to intervene and are seeking a judicial review in the High Court. They discovered through a BBC documentary shown early last year that official documents relating to the accident have been sealed for 100 years by the Ministry of Defence.

Documents sealed for century

Chris Cook, whose brother Richard was one of the pilots killed in the disaster, said the sealing of documents seemed "rather suspicious". He told how during their 16-year campaign to clear the pilots' names, they were repeatedly told information didn't exist.

"We campaigned for 16 years to clear the pilots' names and so many times we were given indications that information didn't exist," Cook said. "Based on the experience we had in our campaign, they wanted us to go away - simple as that."

Children left without answers

Cook revealed there are 47 individuals who lost their fathers in the crash, most of whom were children and some not yet born. These people have lived their whole lives without answers about what happened to their fathers.

His late father had told him "justice has no expiry dates" and urged him never to give up fighting for what was right. Sadly, his father died six years before the pilots' names were cleared and never saw that vindication.

Families feel betrayed by MoD

Jenni Balmer Hornby, daughter of Anthony Hornby who was killed in the disaster, was just a week away from her 10th birthday when the crash happened. She said her mother initially believed it was an accident based on earlier inquiries, but they now know the full information wasn't provided.

"I think it's very clear to myself and everyone in the campaign that the MoD have lost their moral compass - I'm so certain now that the MoD is hiding something," she said. "I can't go another 31 years not knowing what happened to my father."

War widow feels let down

Andy Tobias, who was eight when his father John Tobias boarded the aircraft, described the MoD's response as a "complete betrayal". He said he and his brother had grown up without their father's guidance through life's challenges.

Sue Sparks, whose husband Gary was killed in the crash, said a public inquiry would give families closure. As a war widow, she feels "very, very let down by the Government and the MoD" after being told for 30 years it was an accident when "it could have been prevented".

"The helicopter was declared unairworthy and they were made to fly in it," Sparks said. The Ministry of Defence has been approached for comment.

(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.