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The Sun
10-08-2025
- 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.
The Herald Scotland
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Son of Chinook 1994 helicopter crash victim asks for answers
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: Families of Chinook crash victims demand full release of sealed documents 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. The RAF Chinook helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994 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 Guardian
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Robin Masefield obituary
My colleague Robin Masefield, who has died aged 73 of pancreatic cancer, was the director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service from 2004 to 2010. His 40-year career in public service was largely focused on Northern Ireland, where he led policing reform, and the creation of a statutory framework for parades. He was the first graduate recruited into the newly established Northern Ireland Office in 1973, from where his strong connection to the island of Ireland began. By 1983, he had spent several years abroad working for the Hong Kong government, where he helped draft the first green paper on widening local government representation. A subsequent role in the Home Office in the mid-1980s introduced Robin to prisons and criminal justice reform. Having returned to work in the Northern Ireland Office in 1985, Robin was asked to lead the secretariat supporting an independent panel reviewing arrangements for parades and marches in Northern Ireland, during a period of unrest and violence in the mid-90s. The North Report, published in 1997, and written largely by Robin in just three months, led to the establishment of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland. It was unsurprising, following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, that Robin was subsequently asked to lead the team responsible for implementing the controversial reforms to the Royal Ulster Constabulary, recommended by the Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland, chaired by Chris Patten, in 1999. His attention to detail was crucial as every aspect of policing reform and legislation in parliament was under scrutiny from both unionist and nationalist politicians. Robin's final post was as director general of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, where he led the organisation through changes in the run-up to the devolution of criminal justice and policing in Northern Ireland in 2010. He helped to change the Prison Service from a security focus to one that promoted prisoners' rehabilitation instead. Born in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, Robin was the son of Geoffrey Masefield, a lecturer specialising in tropical agriculture at Oxford University, and Joy (nee Rogers), who was a theatrical producer. Robin was educated at Marlborough college in Wiltshire before studying social anthropology at St John's College, Cambridge. Retiring from public service at the end of 2010, he resumed his interest in historical research and writing books, including a lengthy study of the contribution of Irish people engaged in public administration in east Asia during the 19th century. He was active in his local community of Helen's Bay, County Down, dedicating much time to improving the environment with guerrilla gardening; he was also a school governor and on the board of Oxfam Ireland for many years. Robin will be remembered for his contributions to public service, for which he was appointed CBE in 2003, and his work in support of the peace process in Northern Ireland, He met Rosemary Drew when working in Belfast and they married in Hong Kong in 1981. Rosemary survives him, along with his three children, Anna, Sarah and Johnny.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Yahoo
Families of Chinook crash victims press on with legal action against MoD
The families of those killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash 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. 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. 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 families launched legal action in a 'letter before action' to the UK Government sent earlier this month on the 31st anniversary of the crash. They said they will now pursue a judicial review after the MoD responded and rejected their demands for a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the crash, and for access to files which have been sealed for 100 years. Nicola Rawcliffe, whose brother Major Christopher Dockerty was killed in the crash aged 33, said: 'I am furious and disgusted with the MoD's decision to summarily dismiss our claim. 'The MoD is continuing to deceive our families and disrespect our loved ones' memories by claiming that the many previous inquiries investigated all the facts, but we now know the aircraft was not airworthy. They didn't know half of what we know now. 'The Government may have sealed the files for 100 years, but we, the families of those who died, are firmly united, strong and defiant, and we will get to the truth, no matter what it takes.' 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. The MoD said the crash was a 'tragic accident' and while its sympathies remain with the families and friends of the victims, there have been several investigations and inquiries and it believes it is unlikely another would reach any new conclusions. Andy Tobias, who was eight when his father Lieutenant Colonel John Tobias, 41, was killed, said: 'My childhood was stolen from me because someone decided my dad and his colleagues should be put on a helicopter that was not fit for purpose. 'My mum, my brother, I and all the families deserve the truth and the MoD must repay the honour and integrity that those on board had shown in their years of service to their country. That's why we formed the Chinook Justice Campaign and we will not rest until we get the truth. If that takes a judge to rule in court, then so be it.' The families, who have coalesced into the Chinook Justice Campaign, said failing to order a public inquiry is a breach of the UK Government's human rights obligations. Solicitor Mark Stephens, from law firm Howard Kennedy, said: 'This decision by the MoD to dismiss our claim is an unforgivable betrayal of service people who gave their lives for their country and an undisguised slap in the face for their long-suffering and bereaved families. 'So much for the Government's so-called commitment to duty of candour. 'We will now seek a judicial review into the Ministry of Defence's decision to deny the families truth, transparency and justice.' 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.' It is understood the sealed documents contain personal information relating to third party individuals and the early release of this information would breach those individuals' data protection rights.
North Wales Chronicle
23-06-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Former RUC chief sorry for impact of ombudsman spat on Omagh bomb victims
Counsel for Sir Ronnie Flanagan also said it remains of personal and professional regret to him that no-one was ever brought to justice for the dissident republican blast in 1998 that killed 29 people. During an opening statement to the Omagh Bombing Inquiry on Monday on behalf of Sir Ronnie, Ian Skelt KC detailed some of the lengths he had gone to, including contacting Nasa to ask if they had any footage of the area. Sir Ronnie was chief constable of Northern Ireland's then police force the Royal Ulster Constabulary at the time of the bomb and had weekly meetings with then secretary of state Mo Mowlam to discuss security. Mr Skelt said Sir Ronnie has 'consistently pledged his commitment to engaging positively with this inquiry to ensure it provides answers to those most affected, namely the survivors and the next of kin of those who lost their lives'. He said he followed the commemorative statements around those killed and impacted by the bomb in the last phase of the inquiry earlier this year. 'He welcomes the inquiry and recognises that some nearly 27 years from the bomb attack this may represent the last opportunity to identify the truth in respect to the preventability of the bombing,' he said. 'He pledges to engage fully and transparently.' He went on to describe how Sir Ronnie is sorry for the impact of his row with then Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan in 2001 after she produced a critical report around the police investigation into the Omagh bomb. At the time, Sir Ronnie responded by saying he would resign and 'commit suicide in public' if the multiple failures highlighted in the ombudsman's report were true. Mr Skelt told the Omagh Bombing Inquiry that Sir Ronnie regrets his 'ill-judged emotive statement'. 'Sir Ronnie has heard the evidence during the personal statement hearings that the public dispute between him and the then Police Ombudsman was unwelcome and distracted from the focus being on the victims and their loss, this was not his intention. He is sorry for causing upset,' he said. 'All he can say now is back then when the ombudsman's report was released, he felt very strongly about its content and considered it important to ensure the public had accurate information about the police investigation of the Omagh bombing. 'Following the release of what he considered to be an inaccurate Police Ombudsman report, Sir Ronnie acknowledges the making of an ill-judged emotive statement in response to a journalist's question asking him if he would resign if the report was accurate. Having very quickly recognised that it was a crass response, Sir Ronnie immediately issued an apology.' Mr Skelt added: 'At the relevant time, Sir Ronnie considered he took the appropriate position in light of the information and advice available to him, but as outlined above and previously, he is sorry for causing upset to those impacted by the bombing, he will continue to reflect upon this and other decisions through this inquiry. 'It is submitted that Sir Ronnie acted in good faith and at all times motivated by an intention to bring all of those responsible for this crime to justice, that this has not been possible is a matter of great personal and professional regret.' Mr Skelt also outlined some of the measures taken in the police investigation into the bomb which included contacting the then director of the FBI to ask whether there was any possibility of library footage from Nasa, the FBI, CIA or any other US agency of the Omagh area at the time of the bombing. 'This is an example of the lengths he went to to ensure even the most remote avenues of investigation were explored,' he said. 'That said, Sir Ronnie is not in any way closed to the suggestion that other avenues could have been explored, indeed this inquiry may identify possibilities as the work on documentation and evidence progresses.' Sir Ronnie, a core participant in the inquiry, is expected to give a full statement of evidence at a later stage.
