Chinook families gather in Northern Ireland ahead of 32nd anniversary as fresh evidence reignites calls for truth over Mull of Kintyre crash
Visit to Thiepval Barracks comes after release of new MoD documents raising fresh questions over who knew what in the MoD about lack of airworthiness of the helicopter
Chinook families with Cindy Butts and Sorcha Eastwood MP at Thiepval Barracks Memorial Garden
Families of those killed in the RAF Chinook crash on the Mull of Kintyre attended a commemoration event in Northern Ireland this weekend ahead of the 32nd anniversary of the disaster, amid renewed calls for truth and accountability over one of the UK’s most controversial military tragedies.
On Saturday 30 May, relatives of those who died visited the Memorial Garden at Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, where wreaths were laid in memory of the 29 people killed when RAF Chinook ZD576 crashed on 2 June 1994.
Joining the families were Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood who leads the cross-party group of parliamentarians at Westminster supporting calls for a judge-led public inquiry, and the Independent Public Advocate Cindy Butts, who represents victims of major tragedies, and supports the families’ calls for truth and transparency.
Those killed included 25 of the UK’s most senior intelligence and security personnel operating in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles, and four elite Special Forces crew.
The visit came just days after the release of internal Ministry of Defence documents under Freedom of Information laws which reveal senior figures were aware of serious airworthiness concerns surrounding the Chinook Mk2 helicopter while seeking to shut down alternative explanations for the crash.
Families say the newly released documents reinforce long-standing concerns that questions surrounding the aircraft’s safety were never properly examined.
Des Conroy, from Lisburn, County Antrim, whose father Desmond, a detective chief superintendent in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), died in the crash, said: “This weekend, we remembered our loved ones but 32 years on it is an absolute scandal that the MoD and the state are still no closer to being honest about the crash.
“We certainly feel that we are getting closer to forcing them to reveal the truth, but for a government committed to candour we haven’t seen any evidence of it.
“Why are we still being forced to fight to discover why our loved ones were allowed to board an aircraft which was not airworthy when it is clear from the recent release of files the MoD was very well aware of the issues.”
The recent Ministry of Defence files released under Freedom of Information laws include internal correspondence discussing efforts to “close off” discussion of alternative explanations for the crash, despite concerns raised at the time about technical faults and airworthiness.
Campaigners argue that previous investigations focused too narrowly on allegations of pilot negligence while failing to properly examine why the aircraft was permitted to operate.
Sorcha Eastwood, MP for Lagan Valley, said: “What these families have endured over more than three decades is not just grief, but the ongoing trauma of feeling ignored, dismissed and forced to fight for the truth.
“The recent release of documents has only deepened concerns about transparency and accountability within the Ministry of Defence.
“If the Government truly believes in the principles behind the Hillsborough Law, then the Chinook case must become an example of those principles being applied in reality, not simply spoken about in Westminster.”
The families have repeatedly called on the Prime Minister to intervene, as the MoD should not be allowed to act as judge and jury on whether a public inquiry should be held into its own actions.
The Independent Public Advocate met the families recently and says it is unacceptable that victims are being forced to fight for the truth three decades on from the crash.
Cindy Butts said: “Families have carried this burden for far too long - forced to become de facto lawyers, investigators and campaigners, often at great cost to their personal lives.
“The responsibility for securing truth and accountability should never sit with grieving families - it must rest with the state.
“If the government is serious about delivering a Duty of Candour through the Hillsborough Law, that commitment must be experienced not simply in words, but felt in practice. Families deserve answers without further delay.”
The Chinook Justice Campaign continues to call for full disclosure of all relevant evidence relating to the airworthiness of the aircraft and the circumstances leading up to the crash.