Latest news with #MullofKintyre
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Scotland Chinook crash victim 'would want answers', says sister
The sister of a man who was killed when an RAF Chinook helicopter crashed in 1994 said he would want her to get to the truth of his Christopher Dockerty, 33, whose family lived in Cambridgeshire, was one of 29 people killed in the crash on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland on 2 June that year. His sibling, Nicola Rawcliffe, who lives near Diss in Norfolk, was among a group of campaigners calling for a public inquiry. She is supported by her father, John Dockerty, who lives in Suffolk.A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the accident had already been the subject of six inquiries, and sealed records could not be released due to data protection rules. On the day her brother died, Mrs Rawcliffe had just returned home from a holiday with her husband and was welcomed with a birthday card from her said she had not listened to any news that night and went to bed."The next thing I knew was stones being thrown up at our bedroom window in the early hours of 3 June because, unbeknown to me, Chris had appointed me his next of kin should my parents be out of the country," she explained."I had the harrowing task of not only receiving the devastating news delivered to me by this army officer at two in the morning, but then I also had to telephone my parents to tell them their eldest son had been killed in a Chinook helicopter crash."It was harrowing and incredibly hard."She described her brother as a "gregarious chap" with a "very warm personality" and "infectious laugh". The helicopter had been on its way from RAF Aldergrove, in Northern Ireland, to a conference in Inverness, in Scotland, and was travelling through thick was carrying leading security personnel, all of whom died in the the crash was blamed on pilot error, but they were exonerated in 2011. The families of the victims wanted High Court judges to review information they said was not considered in previous investigations and for the government to release documents on the crash that were sealed for 100 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Friday rejected the calls and said he had been advised by the MoD that the records offered "no insights" and he did not believe a new inquiry would "bring any greater certainty" or would be in the public interest. Mrs Rawcliffe said it felt like the prime minister had "slammed the door in our face" and she wanted him to "stand up and get the truth"."We just want somebody to tell us why the helicopter left the ground because we have the evidence to show that it was unairworthy," she continued."It would help because grief is hard enough."If [Christopher] was here, he would say, 'Just keep going, you've got to keep going until you find that answer and get that truth'."Mr Dockerty, 96, said he was "extremely grateful" to his daughter for her campaigning."I think it's quite disgusting that it has been allowed to fester as long as it has without getting to the bottom of things," he added. A spokesperson for the MoD 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."The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review."They reiterated that the sealed record contained personal records and that the release of the information would breach data protection rules. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Our families were killed in Britain's deadliest helicopter crash… 100-year-old secret NEEDS to be unsealed
THE families of those tragically killed in Britain's deadliest helicopter crash are still demanding answers more than 30 years on. All 25 passengers and four crew members died when a RAF Chinook helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland, on June 2 1994. 9 9 9 The Chinook ZD576 took off from RAF Aldergrove near Belfast at 5.42pm headed for Fort George in Scotland - 20 minutes later it crashed into a hillside. Among those killed were experts from the Security Services, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army including the majority of the UK's senior Northern Ireland intelligence and counter-terrorism experts at the time. It has gone down in history as one of the RAF's worst ever peacetime disasters - but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has sealed documents relating to it until 2094. Now, the Chinook Justice Campaign is demanding answers and accountability for the circumstances surrounding the disaster, calling for a full judge-led inquiry to review the documents they say were not included in previous investigations. The group, formed by family members of the victims, has also launched legal action after the MoD ignored their calls to order such an inquiry, saying it is a breach of the UK government's human rights obligations. Jenni Balmer Hornby, 44, from Tooting was just a week away from her 10th birthday when her father, Anthony Hornby, was killed in the crash. She told The Sun: "I remember coming down in the morning, me and my brother, and my Mum told us and we just screamed and screamed. "I remember watching the TV, watching all the news reports and seeing this charred landscape of the Mull of Kintyre and just thinking he's going to come over that hill any minute. "I absolutely idolised him when I was younger." The pilots of the Chinook were Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, both of whom had exemplary records as members of the special forces. Moment boozy Jet2 passengers are hauled off 7am flight for VAPING in their seats sparking mid-air emergency They were initially blamed for the disaster for gross negligence, a verdict that was only overturned by the UK Government after a 17-year campaign. "The MoD besmirched their incredible careers with that verdict for 17 years and it's disgusting," Jenni said. "When someone dies in the armed forces, one of the few things you have to hold on to is the pride in their career and what they've achieved." The victims' families claim there is evidence that their loved ones were forced to board an RAF helicopter that was not airworthy - evidence they say was withheld or ignored in previous investigations. The MoD's testing centre at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, had declared the Chinook "unairworthy" prior to the crash. 9 9 A campaign spokesperson said: "No inquiry to date - whether individually or collectively - has properly examined why our loved ones were placed aboard an aircraft which MOD test engineers at Boscombe Down, warned was 'positively dangerous' due to fatal flaws in its software. "The helicopter was declared 'not to be relied upon in any way whatsoever.' "Why were those service personnel put on an aircraft which the MoD's most experienced test pilots were forbidden to fly the day before the fatal crash?' The Chinook Justice campaign was born after the families discovered the official files had been sealed for a century through a BBC documentary on the disaster in 2024. Jenni added: "They didn't notify us of this, that our loved ones' records were being sealed - we had to find out through a TV programme. "I think everyone, without a shadow of a doubt, is sure that there is a cover up here." Lucy Sparks, 33, was only two-years-old when her own father, Gary Sparks, died in 1994 and branded the MoD's behaviour as a "shameful". "I'm appalled really how they've held themselves over the years. "I mean, blaming the pilots in the first instance, knowing that wasn't the case, and those poor pilots' families that had to campaign and campaign and campaign. "The way they have conducted themselves is shameful and I think if this is how they treat people who worked for them, who were fighting for their country, fighting for peace in Ireland - it's abhorrent. "My family and I were appalled to learn that the documents had been locked up to 2094. "My daughter will be in her 70s, we will all be dead, and it just really begs the question as to why they are doing that - it's unprecedented." She added that "we very much believe this is a cover-up" and a general pattern of behaviour from a government trying to save face, citing the sub-postmasters, infected blood scandal to nuclear veterans and now the Afghan data leak. "You see these things all the time - powerful institutions trying to quieten people like us and not take accountability and blame - it's a disgrace." 9 The MoD have said the disaster was a "tragic accident" but have argued a Public Inquiry would not "identify any new evidence". A 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. "We understand that the lack of certainty about the cause of the crash has added to the distress of the families. 'We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new Public Inquiry. It's unlikely that a Public Inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence. 'The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent Judge-led review.' The MoD have also stated that the closed records, which are held at The National Archives, contain personal information relating to third party individuals and the release of this information would breach their data protection rights. But the families' legal team have argued otherwise. Mark Stephens, solicitor for the families said: We are taking legal action for the families because the MoD did not protect the right to life of the 29 people on board. "None of the previous inquiries properly looked into the full circumstances surrounding the crash. We went a judge to be able to look at the files that have been squirrelled away. "Data protection rules do not trump people's lives and should not be abused to hide the culpable and responsible at the top of the MoD from accountability and scrutiny." Andy Tobias, 41, from Watford, was eight when his father, Lieutenant Colonel John Tobias, 41, lost his life in the Kintyre crash. Speaking on the MoD's statement, he said: "It's nonsense, more deceit, more deception, more delay tactics. "We're calling them the Ministry of Deceit because they are just deceiving us. "We are fed up and frustrated with it, but we're still united, we're strong and we're defiant and we're going to keep pushing really, really hard until we get the truth that we all deserve. Just this week, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, refused their calls for an inquiry in a letter to Andy who called the response "utterly pathetic". 9 9 In the letter, the PM said he does "not believe that a new inquiry can bring any greater certainty" siding with the MoD in saying the records sealed away "offer no insights into the crash". Furious Andy responded, saying: "The Prime Minister talks the talk about transparency but he's just slammed the door in our face. "He says the government is committed to transparency and accountability, but on the other hand - we'll just seal away the files for a century and tell us bereaved families there's nothing to see here. "The PM should stand full square behind his professed duty of candour on public bodies - instead he's hiding behind the deceitful MOD. "I'm sickened and so are all the other families fighting for truth and transparency - there is everything to be concerned about the run up to this crash." When requested to comment, the Prime Minister's office said the letter and the MoD's statement illustrate the government's position. And when Jenni tried to get in touch with veterans minister, Alastair Carns after connecting with him on LinkedIn, she was ignored. She said she sent the MP a "very emotional, personal message" which he read and never responded. "It was quite personal - I described the emotional toll, the grief as like a chronic disease," Jenni said. "He didn't even bother responding with a fob off or platitudes like he's been giving everyone else - it's so dishonourable. "He's a veteran for Christ's sake - it's supposed to be a brotherhood and he just doesn't care. "It's all about the MoD party line and saving face for them and this is our lives." The Sun has reached out to Alastair Carns for comment. Conservative MP, Sir David Davis, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the crash, came out in support of a new inquiry last month. "I followed and campaigned on this for a decade afterwards and we were never given the truth about the technical status of the aircraft," he said in an interview with Sky News. "It needs to be put in the public domain these documents and to put them under seal for a century is extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary. "As somebody said, it does indicate that they're trying to cover something up." The Conservative MP, Sir Liam Fox, recently said on the Political Currency podcast, hosted by former chancellor George Osborne, that he now had 'doubts' that the airworthiness issue had been properly investigated previously. Asked what it would mean for the Chinook campaign to succeed, all three of Jenni, Lucy and Andy agreed it would provide "closure". Lucy said: "I think it's, it's, it's really about closure for the families, when there has been this sense of unknowing for that time but it's also about justice, it's about justice for our dads, and it's about accountability from the Ministry of Defence." "It would really mean the world to all of us, it would mean peace - you know, this has been 31 years," added a tearful Jenni. "I can't wait another 31 years, I'm so certain that something is amiss here - but it's not like it's going to be a happy outcome. "I'm sure that it's a cover-up, so when we finally get that proved, I'm going to be very angry." "It would mean for me and for other families that we can hopefully get some closure," Andy said. "Not that you ever really get closure after you lose a loved one, but at least it gives us the opportunity to know more around the circumstances of that crash and why all those men and women boarded that flight. "We'll keep pushing very, very hard until we get the truth." The Chinook Justice Campaign has launched an online petition that has already seen more than 25,000 signatures.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Son of Scottish helicopter crash victim still seeking answers after visiting site
The son of a victim of the RAF 1994 Chinook helicopter crash is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene and allow a public inquiry after visiting the site of the disaster. RAF Chinook ZD576 was carrying 25 British intelligence personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to a conference at Fort George near Inverness when it crashed in foggy weather on June 2 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. 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. Joel Hornby, whose father, Major Anthony Hornby, was one of the victims, visited a memorial cairn at the crash site on Saturday and again on Sunday. He and other families have said they will press on with seeking a judicial review after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) dismissed their demands for a judge-led public inquiry into the incident, and have written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer asking him to intervene. READ MORE: Fiona Phillips' says Alzheimer's symptom led to 'secret split from husband' READ MORE: BBC newsreader George Alagiah left wife and family tiny sum of money in will Mr Hornby, who was seven when his father died, visited the site with his one-year-old son and laid a wreath at the cairn along with a note which read "Dad, we are still fighting for you". Speaking afterwards Mr Hornby, who lives in Berlin in Germany, said: "We, the families of those lost, have still been denied answers over 30 years on. Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox "The MoD has rejected our request for a full judge-led public inquiry, and furthermore, has sealed documents relating to the crash for 100 years. We are requesting that the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer live up to his promises on duty of candour and overrule the MoD's decision." He has also urged people to sign a petition calling on the Prime Minister to overturn the MoD decision and release the documents. Following the crash, the Chinook's pilots, Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, were accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned by the UK Government 17 years later following a campaign by the families. 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. In a statement after the calls made by the families on Friday 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. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. "We understand that the lack of certainty about the cause of the crash has added to the distress of the families. We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new public inquiry. "It's unlikely that a public inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence. The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review." The MoD did not wish to make further comment on Sunday.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Son of Chinook 1994 helicopter crash victim visits memorial and asks for answers
The son of a victim of the RAF 1994 Chinook helicopter crash is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene and allow a public inquiry after visiting the site of the disaster. RAF Chinook ZD576 was carrying 25 British intelligence personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to a conference at Fort George near Inverness when it crashed in foggy weather on June 2 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland. 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. Joel Hornby, whose father Major Anthony Hornby was one of the victims, visited a memorial cairn at the crash site on Saturday and again on Sunday. He and other families have said they will press on with seeking a judicial review after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) dismissed their demands for a judge-led public inquiry into the incident, and have written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer asking him to intervene. Mr Hornby, who was seven when his father died, visited the site with his one-year-old son and laid a wreath at the cairn along with a note which read 'Dad, we are still fighting for you'. Speaking afterwards Mr Hornby, who lives in Berlin in Germany, said: 'We, the families of those lost, have still been denied answers over 30 years on. 'The MoD has rejected our request for a full judge-led public inquiry, and furthermore, has sealed documents relating to the crash for 100 years. 'We are requesting that the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer live up to his promises on duty of candour and overrule the MoD's decision.' He has also urged people to sign a petition calling on the Prime Minister to overturn the MoD decision and release the documents. Following the crash, the Chinook's pilots, Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, were accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned by the UK Government 17 years later following a campaign by the families. 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. In a statement after the calls made by the families on Friday 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. 'We understand that the lack of certainty about the cause of the crash has added to the distress of the families. 'We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new public inquiry. 'It's unlikely that a public inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence. 'The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review.' The MoD has been asked if it wishes to make further comment.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- The Independent
Chinook 1994 helicopter crash families criticise MoD for ‘losing moral compass'
Families of the victims of the 1994 RAF Chinook crash have hit out at the Ministry of Defence for refusing a public inquiry into the incident and sealing key documents for 100 years. Relatives of the 29 victims who died on the aircraft have written to the Prime Minister to demand a full, independent, judge-led public inquiry to establish the truth into the disaster, accusing the MoD of 'losing its moral compass'. RAF Chinook ZD576 crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on its way from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George in Scotland, and all 25 passengers and four crew members were killed in the incident. A verdict of gross negligence against the pilots, flight lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, from a review into the incident by two senior RAF officers in 1995 was overturned by the Government in 2011 after a 16-year campaign by the families. Relatives have now written to the Prime Minister to intervene and are seeking a judicial review in the High Court. Chris Cook, whose brother Richard was one of the pilots killed in the disaster, said: 'In the BBC documentary that was shown early last year, what came to light was that the official documents to do with the accident have been sealed for 100 years by the Ministry of Defence. 'We weren't aware of that. There was news to me when I watched the programme. 'And so it seems rather suspicious to us that the documents are going to be locked away for such a long time.' He added: 'We campaigned for 16 years to clear the pilots' names and so many times we were given indications that information didn't exist. 'Based on the experience we had in our campaign, they wanted us to go away – simple as that. 'But my late father always said justice has no expiry dates. 'Sadly, he passed away before we cleared Rick's name. 'He never got to see that, he died six years beforehand. 'But those words mean an awful lot, it means don't give up. 'You know if you think that an injustice is being done, you keep fighting for it.' Mr Cook says there are 47 individuals that lost their fathers in the crash, most of whom were children and some not yet born, who have lived their whole lives without answers. Jenni Balmer Hornby, daughter of Anthony Hornby who was killed in the disaster, said: 'It was a week before my 10th birthday when the crash happened and so obviously I wasn't old enough to go to any of the earlier inquiries, but my mum went to those. 'For some time she felt that it was an accident because of these inquiries. 'But now we know that the full information wasn't given, so we know over time that these inquiries were completely ineffective. '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. 'I can't go another 31 years not knowing what happened to my father. 'Him and his colleagues risk their life for their country and in return, we have just been dismissed and fed lies for three decades and we all deserve a lot better.' Andy Tobias, who was just eight when his father John Tobias went on board RAF Chinook ZD576, has branded the response from the MoD as a 'betrayal'. He said: '(It's been) really tough. 'My brother and myself have not had a father, he's not been around to direct us through the challenges that you face in life. 'You never get over it but you learn to live with it. 'For us, the MoD have really let us down as families. 'It's been a complete betrayal to all of those men who boarded that flight and gave their life and service. 'If my father knew that his family were fighting so hard to get answers and to get the truth, he would be turning in his grave. Sue Sparks, whose husband Gary was killed in the crash, said: 'I think it would give us closure. 'Over the 30 years, we were led to believe it was an accident, which it wasn't. 'It could have been prevented. 'The helicopter was declared unairworthy and they were made to fly in it. 'It makes us feel angry and not treated properly by the MoD. 'As a war widow, I feel very, very let down by the Government and the MoD.'
