Customer Reviews

Chinook Crash (Aviation)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 1994, almost the entire Northern Ireland Intelligence team of military, RUC and civilian personnel boarded a Chinook helicopter and took off for a conference being held on mainland UK. That helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre with the loss of 4 RAF crew members and all 25 passengers.

The loss of any military aircraft connected with Northern Ireland will always create speculation as to the cause. With 25 of the country's top intelligence experts being wiped out in a single incident, that speculation became extremely intense.

Chinook Crash is a fine piece of work if only because the research appears to have been as thorough as is required for a work of this nature. Not only has the author given a precise account of the incident itself, he also gives his own account of the controversial subject of blame and even attempts to solve the mystery itself - and quite right too, after conducting such a thorough investigation.

Altogether, he appears to have left no stone unturned as he investigated and inspected every single element of the whole incident. This includes interviews with witnesses to the crash and those who communicated with the helicopter during that final journey, an analyses of the behaviour of the crew on the day in question and even a summary of the way in which the aircraft was behaving - according to it's official maintenance record.

Having, thus put together a most complete picture of events, the author then scrutinises the various investigations held by different official authorities and even Parliament from which he reveals all their published findings.

In conclusion, all the available evidence is then reviewed. Whilst the author's own conclusions may support those of the RAF, it is interesting to note that the reasons he gives are very different.

NM
British Army Major (Retired).