Families of those killed in 1994 RAF Chinook crash speak out for the first time in fight for answers
Loved ones of those who died say they “deserve answers” on why their loved ones never came home.
The families of those killed in the 1994 RAF Chinook crash on the west coast of Scotland have demanded the full release of documents which have been locked away for 100 years, saying they want an end to the “secrecy.”
Twenty nine people were killed when RAF Chinook ZD576 crashed on the Mull of Kintyre.
All 25 passengers made up of personnel from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army were killed, along with the helicopter’s four crew members.
The incident remains one of the RAF’s worst peacetime losses of life.
As the 31st anniversary approaches on June 2, the loved ones of the victims have issued an open letter to MPs renewing calls for a public inquiry into the incident.
They have also demanded a full release of the documents, which have been locked away until 2094 by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The unusual sealing of the paperwork has raised questions and concerns among relatives about the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The two dead pilots, flight lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, were initially wrongly accused of gross negligence - the equivalent of manslaughter - after the crash.
But a subsequent review by Lord Philip set out “numerous concerns” raised by those who worked on the Chinooks, with the MoD’s testing centre at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire declaring the Chinook Mk2 helicopters “unairworthy” prior to the crash.
Andy Tobias, who was eight when his father Lt Col John Tobias, 41, was killed, said the “secrecy” raises questions about what really happened.
“I lost my father, and part of my childhood, because he was put on board a helicopter that had been deemed unairworthy and should never have taken off,” he said, speaking publicly about the incident for the first time.
“In my view, it’s nothing short of corporate manslaughter.
“I have tried for many years to put this crash, and my family’s unnecessary loss, behind me – but learning that the MoD has sealed away the archive until after all of us will be long gone seriously raises my concerns about what really happened and who knew what.
“Why the secrecy? Why did my father and 28 others die? We want answers.”
Esme Sparks, who was just seven when her father Major Gary Sparks lost his life, said: “Why on earth would they be sealed for so long if there was not something being hidden? Who or what is being protected?,” she said, also speaking publicly for the first time.
“My whole family wants answers and action because my daddy was denied his right to life – put in danger by the MoD on an aircraft deemed not airworthy.
“We are furious that the Government and the MoD is refusing to listen or to meet us.”
The open letter states the Chinook Justice Campaign – which includes most of the bereaved families – formally requested a public inquiry on October 9 last year, but that this was rejected by the minister for veterans and people Alistair Carns on December 17.
It adds that the minister has not yet responded to a subsequent request for a meeting.
The letter said date for the documents to be released will be “long after the spouses and children of those killed have themselves passed away.”
The letter adds: “Wives, children, and families left behind deserve answers about why our loved ones never came home.
“They would never have boarded the helicopter had they known it was not airworthy.
“They would have had long, full lives and would have lived to see their children and grandchildren grow up.”
An MoD spokesperson said: “The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died.”
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