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Army tank explosion deaths caused by design flaw | Army tank explosion deaths caused by design flaw |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A tank explosion which killed two British Army soldiers was caused by a design flaw, a coroner has found. | A tank explosion which killed two British Army soldiers was caused by a design flaw, a coroner has found. |
Royal Tank Regiment corporals Matthew Hatfield, 27, and Darren Neilson, 31, died during a live firing exercise at Castlemartin Range in Pembrokeshire. | Royal Tank Regiment corporals Matthew Hatfield, 27, and Darren Neilson, 31, died during a live firing exercise at Castlemartin Range in Pembrokeshire. |
A seal stopping explosive gases escaping into a tank crew's turret was not in place before the lethal blast. | A seal stopping explosive gases escaping into a tank crew's turret was not in place before the lethal blast. |
The widow of one of those killed said "lessons must be learned from the deadly incident". | |
Cpl Neilson, 31, from Preston, Lancashire, was the tank commander and was thrown from the turret in the blast on 14 June 2017. | Cpl Neilson, 31, from Preston, Lancashire, was the tank commander and was thrown from the turret in the blast on 14 June 2017. |
Cpl Hatfield, 27, and a father of one, from Amesbury, Wiltshire, was loading ammunition. | Cpl Hatfield, 27, and a father of one, from Amesbury, Wiltshire, was loading ammunition. |
Both men were taken to hospital but died of their injuries the following day. | Both men were taken to hospital but died of their injuries the following day. |
Two other soldiers, Warrant Officer Stuart Lawson and Trooper Michael Warren, were also injured but survived. | Two other soldiers, Warrant Officer Stuart Lawson and Trooper Michael Warren, were also injured but survived. |
The airtight seal, a bolt vent axial (BVA), that would have prevented explosive gases being released into the tank's turret was not in place when the men fired on 14 June 2017. | The airtight seal, a bolt vent axial (BVA), that would have prevented explosive gases being released into the tank's turret was not in place when the men fired on 14 June 2017. |
Senior coroner for Birmingham and Solihull Louise Hunt said the "hazard" had not been adequately tested by the gun designers or the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in manufacture. | |
The tank chassis and turret is built by BAE Systems, while the gun itself was made by Royal Ordnance. | |
There was no written process to check the presence of the airtight seal and the soldiers were unaware it had been removed on a prior exercise. | There was no written process to check the presence of the airtight seal and the soldiers were unaware it had been removed on a prior exercise. |
Ms Hunt said: "The main cause of this incident was the tank being able to fire without the BVA assembly being present. | Ms Hunt said: "The main cause of this incident was the tank being able to fire without the BVA assembly being present. |
"During production and manufacture of the gun, this hazard was not adequately considered or investigated and therefore the ability of the gun to fire without the BVA present went undetected." | "During production and manufacture of the gun, this hazard was not adequately considered or investigated and therefore the ability of the gun to fire without the BVA present went undetected." |
The inquest also revealed that a second blast in the tank was caused when incorrectly stowed ammunition bags exploded during the incident. | |
The coroner heard a succession of troopers give evidence that the charges were sometimes stored out of heat-proof storage bins within the turret, including an occasion where one was "on a soldier's lap". | |
After the inquest, Cpl Neilson's widow, Jemma Neilson, said health and safety should have been "world class" and called for immediate changes by the MoD and Army. | |
She said: "No soldier should ever be killed in training. | |
"Lessons must be learned, cultures must change and the MoD must accept failings and implement change immediately. | |
"An incident of this nature must never happen again." | |
The coroner has sent a report to the MoD and the gun designers to prevent future deaths. | |
The Army said it had already improved training, weapons drills, and procedures. |
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