Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash families demand MoD answers
Niven Phoenix lost his dad in the 1994 disaster
A Malmesbury man is demanding answers from the Ministry of Defence, 31 years after his father was killed in a helicopter crash.
Detective Superintendent Ian Phoenix was on board a Chinook Mark Two when it crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994, which saw 29 people die.
His son, Niven, is part of the Chinook Justice Campaign, that is calling for a public inquiry to bring answers to the growing list of questions.
The families have today published 225 new safety critical questions over the circumstances that led to the Chinook coming down, ahead of meeting Government Ministers for the first time on Tuesday (16/12).
Niven said there is one key question that needs answering.
"I'm just one person part of this campaign, there are 47 other children who lost their fathers that night, some of the widows are still alive as well and we have a 96-year-old father who is trying to find out what happened to his son and why he was loaded onto a non air worthy helicopter and that's principally what the campaign is about.
"Why were they put in that position?" he said.
Investigation could have prevented other tragedies
The campaign is gathering momentum after a television documentary highlighting safety concerns over the Chinook used.
Niven, who is a pilot himself and an advocate for flight safety, told us a proper investigation into the Chinook disaster could have prevented other tragedies, such as the Hercules being shot down over Maysan province and the Nimrod which exploded over Afghanistan.
"It was the case where they could have stopped the rot," he explained. "They could have really stepped in, had they investigated properly and looked at the safety case, looked at the build standard of the aircraft, looked at certification of safety critical systems and realised that actually it didn't have the valid certification, it could have stopped those other crashes."
He also highlighted the Charles Haddon Cave report which revealed systemic failings in airworthiness within the Royal Air Force.
The crash has been the subject of six inquiries, but Niven says these have mostly focussed on clearing the name of the pilots, who he says were erroneously blamed for the crash. It took 17 years to achieve that.
MoD stance on Inquiry "frustrating"
The MoD has previously said that no new evidence would be uncovered by a new inquiry - but Niven says that none have focussed on the airworthiness and circumstances leading to the aircraft coming into service.
He told us the MoD's stance that a new inquiry won't achieve anything are insulting.
"I'm very angry, I'm very upset and very frustrated because that's the old lines they trotted out from just after the crash. So they're using old lines which are totally threadbare and have always been disingenuous and to still hear them being used, is incredible," he said.
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.
“The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review. Lord Coaker, Minister of State for Defence, Al Carns, Minister for the Armed Forces and Louise Sandher-Jones MP, Minister for Veterans and People, will be meeting with representatives from the Chinook Justice Campaign before the end of the year, to listen to their concerns first hand.”