Tragic RAF Nimrod crash 'preventable'
The crash of an RAF Nimrod in Afghanistan in 2006 was 'preventable'
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Wednesday, 28, Oct 2009 02:21
By Richard James.
The crash of an RAF Nimrod aircraft in Afghanistan in 2006, which resulted in the deaths of 14 British service personnel, was preventable, an independent report has claimed.
Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth apologised to the House of Commons while revealing the findings of Charles Haddon-Cave's review today.
The report identified "a failure of leadership, culture and priorities" in relation to the crash.
Two RAF officers have already been moved from their posts in light of the review, with Mr Ainsworth claiming the Ministry of Defence was now committed to addressing the "numerous weaknesses" in the system of establishing an aircraft's airworthiness.
An original safety review of the ageing Nimrod XV230 was attacked as a "lamentable job" and "riddled with errors".
The report declared: "Its production is a story of incompetence, complacency and cynicism. The best chance to prevent the accident to XV230 was, tragically, lost."
Addressing MPs, Mr Ainsworth said: "The report's a tough read", pledging to "do everything in power to guard against anything like this happening again".
Fourteen servicemen died when an RAF Nimrod MR2 reconnaissance aircraft crashed near the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan on September 2nd 2006.
Today's review blamed both the MoD and its industrial partners, at both organisational and individual levels, for the deaths. It made clear the loss was "preventable".
Conservative shadow defence secretary Liam Fox described the report as a "formidable indictment" which was "genuinely shocking". He said it should act as a "wake-up call for all of us" that "cutting corners costs lives".
Fl Lts Steven Johnson, Leigh Anthony Mitchelmore, Gareth Rodney Nicholas, Allan James Squires and Steven Swarbrick, FS' Gary Wayne Andrews, Stephen Beattie, Gerard Martin Bell and Adrian Davies, Sgts Benjamin James Knight, John Joseph Langton and Gary Paul Quilliam were the 12 RAF personnel who died.
Royal Marine Joseph David Windall and Lance Corporal Oliver Simon Dicketts of the Parachute Regiment also died.