Dossier could clear Mull of Kintyre pilots

NEWLY uncovered Ministry of Defence documents have reportedly cast doubt on the cause of the Chinook helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994.

Twenty-nine people were killed on the flight from Belfast to Inverness and an RAF inquiry ruled that the cause was pilot error.

However the papers show that the RAF had doubts about the reliability of Chinook helicopters in 1992.

Yesterday a Ministry of Defence spokesman declined to comment on the findings, adding that the crash is the subject of an ongoing review headed by Lord Alexander Philip.

The report, dated 1992, reads: "Since entering RAF service in 1980, the Chinook HC Mk 1 has been dogged by configuration control problems, inadequate publications and system unreliability.

"Throughout, the Chinook has been regarded by maintenance staffs as a 'Cinderella' of the RAF fleet.

"Five accidents over the past six years, and serious incidents have brought into question the effectiveness of the (aircraft's] overall management and maintenance."

Campaigners say the documents prove that flight lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook should not have been blamed.