Former Defence Secretary meets Chinook crash families and voices “deep concerns” about the case

August 22nd 2025

The former Defence Secretary Sir Liam Fox has told the families of those killed in the RAF Chinook crash on the Mull of Kintyre that he has “very deep concerns” about the circumstances surrounding the disaster on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994.

The crash killed 25 senior intelligence experts and four Special Forces crew. The Ministry of Defence’s decision to seal the files for 100 years has further heightened suspicions of a cover-up about the circumstances leading up to the crash.

Sir Liam this week held a private meeting with some of the 47 sons and daughters of those who were killed on June 2nd 1994 in a Chinook Mk 2 helicopter which the MoD itself has confirmed was not airworthy.

Calls for a public inquiry have been rejected both by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Defence and the families are now pursuing a Judicial Review at the High Court under Article II of the Human Rights Act, which protects the right to life.

Speaking after the meeting, Sir Liam Fox said: “It was my pleasure to meet some of the members of the Chinook Justice Campaign and to listen to their harrowing stories, and their suspicions about what may have happened.

“I share their very deep concerns about the circumstances surrounding the crash and I have committed to a full investigation to ensure that the truth is laid before the British people. As the Defence Secretary who, after the conclusions of the Mull of Kintyre Review, cleared the two pilots of blame, I have assured the families that I will give this my full attention and help to establish the truth about what happened.”

Evidence which has been leaked to the families - and available on the Chinook Justice Campaign website – confirms that the aircraft was not airworthy and should never have taken off on that fateful flight, killing all on board.

Andy Tobias, whose father Lt Col John Tobias, 41, an intelligence officer, was killed in the crash, said: “The support of Sir Liam Fox means a huge amount to all of the families. As the man who was brave enough to see through the MoD’s lies and clear the pilots of blame, we firmly believe that he can help us get to the truth about the circumstances leading up to the crash.

“My father and 28 others were put on an unairworthy aircraft. We have the evidence to prove it. As with the latest Afghan data leak cover-ups - many more of which are being reported today - the Ministry of Deceit seems to think it is above truth and transparency. We are determined to make sure that it is not and we would urge the Prime Minister to take a much closer look at our case than he has done so far.

“The MoD keeps telling us that no new inquiry is necessary, and points to the judge-led inquiry set up by Sir Liam which was established solely to discover whether the pilots were to blame. They were cleared. Given Sir Liam supports our case – then the MoD’s argument is void. They must stop trying to gaslight the families of the dead.”

The MOD has previously confirmed that the trials aircraft, grounded the day before the crash on 2nd June 1994, would only have been grounded at Boscombe Down because it was not airworthy and Lord Philip’s Review confirmed this was “mandated” on the RAF. (See Notes to Editors)

It was in 2011, as Conservative Defence Secretary that Sir Liam cleared the two pilots of blame – Flight Lieutenants Jonathan Tapper and Richard Cook were both United Kingdom Special Forces pilots with exemplary service records.

The official RAF Board of Inquiry led by Wing Commander Sir Andrew Pulford - who later became Chief of the Air Staff - found there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the pilots had been negligent. Without any further evidence, two RAF Air Marshals John Day and William Wratten ruled the pilots were “grossly negligent’, effectively overturning the detailed inquiry conducted by Pulford.

It took nearly 17 years for their families to clear the pilots’ names and for an apology to be issued by Sir Liam, who believed the men had been scapegoated, in the House of Commons.

Last week, former RAF Squadron Leader Robert Burke, who conducted tests on the Chinook helicopter fleet, revealed that the crashed aircraft’s final journey was ordered into the air as a “show flight” to prove that the upgrade from Mark 1 to Mark 2 was ‘safe’ - despite serious and known concerns about airworthiness raised by RAF test engineers and pilots at Boscombe Down.

The Mk 2 Chinook crashed on the Mull of Kintyre wiping out a top tier of intelligence and security experts in Northern Ireland. It was carrying 25 British intelligence personnel from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army.

The leaked files show that the Boeing Mark 2 Chinook’s FADEC engine software experienced “unpredictable malfunctions” as well as “shutdowns and surges in power”. The aircraft was considered by test engineers at Boscombe Down “not to be relied upon in any way whatsoever” and Lord Philip’s Review in 2011 confirmed this was ‘mandated’ upon the RAF.

A Change.org petition – change.org/JusticeForThe29 - set up a few weeks ago by the families and which calls on the Prime Minister to intervene and overrule the MoD by agreeing to a judge-led public inquiry, has attracted more than 40,000 signatures.

While the MoD claims a new inquiry will uncover no new evidence, no inquiry to date - whether individually or collectively - has properly examined why the families’ 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 and should be grounded.