Chinook disaster families and friends pay emotional tribute to former MoD aeronautical engineer David Hill who has died just two months after being diagnosed with late-stage cancer

Families say a fitting tribute to Hill’s lifetime of work uncovering airworthiness failings on the Chinook and other aircraft like Nimrod XV230 would be for ministers to acknowledge major MoD failings and award a posthumous O.B.E.

• David Hill’s death comes less than a month after an unprecedented meeting with ministers made possible only by his three decade long forensic analysis of the circumstances surrounding the Mull of Kintyre crash.

• Families, friends and Chinook Justice Campaign say he was keen for the crash to be the test case for Hillsborough Law – if enacted

• Hill recorded a series of videos from his hospital bed which he wished to be released after his death – these will be made public after his funeral.

You’ll find our tribute page to David, here

Monday 19th January 2026

The 1994 Chinook disaster families have today paid a warm, heartfelt and emotional tribute to the campaign’s key technical advisor David Hill, who has died after a very short and difficult battle with cancer.

David Hill, a former Ministry of Defence aeronautical engineer and the author of three definitive books examining the RAF Chinook crash on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994, was 69.

For more than three decades, he painstakingly collated, studied, and made public official papers and technical analysis that has underpinned the campaign’s intense progress over the last six months - which led to the first meeting with ministers in 31 years on December 16th 2025, and which helped to clear the two pilots of blame in 2011.

It was Hill’s expertise and determination to ensure that the truth was uncovered – that the Chinook Mk 2 helicopter was not airworthy and should never have been in the air – which has greatly assisted the families in their shared search for truth, transparency and justice.

Susan Phoenix, a close friend for the last three decades and who has campaigned tirelessly with him since the findings of gross negligence against the pilots were made, said: “David stood with the families from the very earliest days, when it was hardest to challenge the official story and when few were prepared to listen.

“From the flawed RAF Board of Inquiry and the Scottish Fatal Accident Inquiry onwards, to his work just in the last two months helping to pose 335 unanswered questions about the crash, he brought clarity, courage and extraordinary technical insight to a case that has been clouded by lies, secrecy and a distinct lack of candour.

“David was not only a colleague but a true friend. His invaluable work has helped to give our families a voice when they were being ignored, and his determination ensured that the truth could not simply be buried. We cannot believe that we have lost him now when we are at our closest point to justice in 31 years, thanks to him.”

He died at a palliative care hospice in Bristol this week after a peaceful day listening to his favourite musician, Bob Dylan.

From the very beginning, David applied forensic rigour, intellectual honesty, bravery and quiet determination to a case that others were willing to dismiss and lie about. He challenged official narratives not out of ideology, but out of professional integrity. His work exposed inconsistencies, questioned assumptions, and demonstrated—time and again—that the official MoD claims – which persist today – do not stand up to technical scrutiny.

Without David, there would be no Chinook Justice Campaign as it exists today. His expertise gave families confidence, his evidence gave them credibility, and his unwavering commitment sustained the campaign through years of institutional resistance, delay and silence.

Niven Phoenix, whose father Ian was killed in the crash and who worked closely with David on the technical case, said: “David’s contribution cannot be overstated. He understood the Chinook Mark 2 systems in forensic detail and was meticulous in analysing evidence that others either overlooked or chose not to interrogate.

“He demonstrated, repeatedly and rigorously, that the aircraft’s airworthiness, software integration and system certification raised serious and unresolved questions. He is a massive loss to the campaign, and we are all devastated by his death. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his wife, his daughter Jo, to his family and friends.”

Chris Cook, whose brother Rick was one of the pilots killed in the crash and later cleared of blame, said: “For our family, David’s work was absolutely fundamental. The evidence he helped uncover and explain - alongside others - thankfully demonstrated that my brother Rick was not to blame and should never have been blamed.

“After years of pain, doubt and injustice, David’s determination helped restore Rick’s professional reputation and gave our family something we had been denied for far too long: truth, dignity and peace. I cannot overstate my admiration for his professionalism as an engineer, but also his determination, resilience and bravery in ensuring the truth was told.”

Nicola Rawcliffe, whose brother Chris was killed in the crash, acted as the daily liaison between the campaign and its technical advisor. She said: “David was utterly dependable. Day in, day out, even after his cancer diagnosis he responded to questions, checked facts, reviewed drafts and ensured that everything we put forward was technically sound and defensible.”

Former Squadron Leader and test pilot, Robert Burke, who worked at RAF Odiham and who revealed that the doomed flight was a “show flight” said: “David approached every piece of evidence with integrity, determination and courage. He spent more than 30 years trying to establish the truth, not just with the Chinook crash but with multiple other crashes where lack of airworthiness was to blame.”

Retired RAF Squadron Leader Engineer Peter Skea, Hill’s best friend for more than 40 years and who shares similar experience in airworthiness, added: “David’s crusade to right wrongs and ensure fairness was a crusade of truth. He was dogged in his determination to put the record straight and he abhorred technical incompetence. His legacy will be the important books he authored including “Chinook ZD576”, “The Inconvenient Truth”, "Their Greatest Disgrace” and many more.

“He has exposed the wrongs associated with the Chinook crash; in recognition of this and his other work he should be awarded an O.B.E.”

Andy Tobias, whose father John was one of the 29 people killed, speaking on behalf of the wider group of Chinook families, said: “Without David, the campaign would not have reached the point it has today. His technical work was fundamental to securing the agreement to meet Defence Ministers in December.

“The families owe David a massive debt of lifelong gratitude. He gave us evidence, credibility and the confidence to keep going when the system seemed determined to shut us out. A fitting tribute to his work would be for our case to be the test case for the new Hillsborough Law, all the files to be released and a judge led public inquiry.”

Beyond his technical brilliance, David was generous with his time, patient in his explanations, and deeply compassionate towards the families affected. He understood that this was not an abstract engineering debate, but a human tragedy involving 29 lives and families who have waited far too long for answers.

David’s legacy will endure in the body of work he leaves behind, in the strength of the campaign he helped to build, and in the continued pursuit of justice that he never abandoned.

Former BBC political correspondent, Tim Reid, who now handles media relations for the Chinook Justice Campaign on behalf of the families, said: “David had one of the most forensic minds I’ve ever known and a memory to match.

“He was the expert source on a series of stories I covered as a reporter – trusting me in 2011 with the now infamous CHART Report into the lack of airworthiness of the Chinook Mark 2, a moment that proved pivotal not just for the campaign to clear the pilots of blame but also the current campaign to establish the truth.

“Above all, David believed in evidence, integrity and persistence. He never sought attention for himself; he cared only that institutional wrongs were properly examined and the truth made public.”

In his final days, David recorded a series of videos which he wished to be made public about the Chinook crash and which he wanted ministers to watch and consider. Out of respect to his wife and family, these will only be made public after his funeral.

The Chinook Justice Campaign extends its deepest condolences to David’s family and loved ones. We will honour his memory by continuing the work to which he devoted the last 31 years of his life.