This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7126172.stm

The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 6 Version 7
RAF Nimrod crash report awaited RAF Nimrod crash report awaited
(about 2 hours later)
An inquiry into an RAF Nimrod plane crash, which killed all 14 people on board, is due to be published by the Ministry of Defence.An inquiry into an RAF Nimrod plane crash, which killed all 14 people on board, is due to be published by the Ministry of Defence.
The Nimrod MR2 aircraft exploded in Afghanistan in September last year, shortly after air-to-air refuelling.The Nimrod MR2 aircraft exploded in Afghanistan in September last year, shortly after air-to-air refuelling.
It caused the biggest loss of life among British forces in a single incident since the Falklands War.It caused the biggest loss of life among British forces in a single incident since the Falklands War.
The MoD has defended the plane's safety record after concerns about fuel leaks and questions over cost pressures.The MoD has defended the plane's safety record after concerns about fuel leaks and questions over cost pressures.
The aircraft remain in use.
Images of Nimrod MR2 Images of Nimrod MR2
The findings of the MoD's Board of Inquiry will be announced later to MPs by Defence Secretary Des Browne.The findings of the MoD's Board of Inquiry will be announced later to MPs by Defence Secretary Des Browne.
Bomb bay fire
The aircraft, call sign XV230, exploded while on an intelligence-gathering mission.The aircraft, call sign XV230, exploded while on an intelligence-gathering mission.
The pilot had reported a fire in the bomb bay - but the families of those who died want to know exactly what caused it, and whether more effective safety measures could have averted the tragedy. The pilot had reported a fire in the bomb bay.
It is thought the blaze was started when a fuel leak caught fire.
There are... a host of unanswered questions about the safety of the ageing Nimrod fleet as a whole which the Ministry of Defence must answer Angus Robertson MP
The father of one of the men who died in the explosion says he believes his son's death could have been averted if safety warnings had been acted upon.The father of one of the men who died in the explosion says he believes his son's death could have been averted if safety warnings had been acted upon.
Graham Knight, the father of Ben Knight, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Something good has to come out of something so awful, and I hope it leads to the aircraft being safer to fly."Graham Knight, the father of Ben Knight, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Something good has to come out of something so awful, and I hope it leads to the aircraft being safer to fly."
There are... a host of unanswered questions about the safety of the ageing Nimrod fleet as a whole which the Ministry of Defence must answer Angus Robertson MP He also said he wanted to know what caused the leak which led to the fire.
Westminster SNP leader Angus Robertson MP, who represents the Nimrods' home base at RAF Kinloss in Moray, wrote to Mr Browne ahead of the report's publication with a number of questions.Westminster SNP leader Angus Robertson MP, who represents the Nimrods' home base at RAF Kinloss in Moray, wrote to Mr Browne ahead of the report's publication with a number of questions.
"Everybody hopes that the inquiry will answer all of the relevant questions about the Nimrod which crashed in Afghanistan and help avoid a repeat of the tragedy," he said."Everybody hopes that the inquiry will answer all of the relevant questions about the Nimrod which crashed in Afghanistan and help avoid a repeat of the tragedy," he said.
"There are, however, a host of unanswered questions about the safety of the ageing Nimrod fleet as a whole which the Ministry of Defence must answer.""There are, however, a host of unanswered questions about the safety of the ageing Nimrod fleet as a whole which the Ministry of Defence must answer."
NIMROD CRASH VICTIMS Flt Lt Allan Squires, 39, from Clatterbridge, MerseysideFlt Lt Steven Johnson, 38, from Collingham, NottinghamshireFlt Lt Gareth Nicholas, 40, from Redruth, CornwallFlt Lt Steven Swarbrick, 28, from LiverpoolFlt Lt Leigh Mitchelmore, 28, from Bournemouth, DorsetFlt Sgt Adrian Davies, 49, from Amersham, BuckinghamshireFlt Sgt Gary Wayne Andrews, 48, from Tankerton, KentFlt Sgt Gerard Bell, 48, from Newport, ShropshireFlt Sgt Stephen Beattie, 42, from DundeeSgt Gary Paul Quilliam, 42, from ManchesterSgt Ben Knight, 25, from BridgewaterSgt John Langton, 29, from LiverpoolMarine Joseph Windall, 22 from Hazlemere L/Cpl Oliver Dicketts, from Wadhurst UK fatalities in AfghanistanNIMROD CRASH VICTIMS Flt Lt Allan Squires, 39, from Clatterbridge, MerseysideFlt Lt Steven Johnson, 38, from Collingham, NottinghamshireFlt Lt Gareth Nicholas, 40, from Redruth, CornwallFlt Lt Steven Swarbrick, 28, from LiverpoolFlt Lt Leigh Mitchelmore, 28, from Bournemouth, DorsetFlt Sgt Adrian Davies, 49, from Amersham, BuckinghamshireFlt Sgt Gary Wayne Andrews, 48, from Tankerton, KentFlt Sgt Gerard Bell, 48, from Newport, ShropshireFlt Sgt Stephen Beattie, 42, from DundeeSgt Gary Paul Quilliam, 42, from ManchesterSgt Ben Knight, 25, from BridgewaterSgt John Langton, 29, from LiverpoolMarine Joseph Windall, 22 from Hazlemere L/Cpl Oliver Dicketts, from Wadhurst UK fatalities in Afghanistan
Six Nimrods were sent out to Afghanistan and Iraq, flying lengthy missions, often using air-to-air refuelling to keep them in the air for longer.Six Nimrods were sent out to Afghanistan and Iraq, flying lengthy missions, often using air-to-air refuelling to keep them in the air for longer.
The MR2 aircraft that came down was almost 40 years old, and should have left service years ago, but its replacement, the MRA4, will not be ready until at least 2011.The MR2 aircraft that came down was almost 40 years old, and should have left service years ago, but its replacement, the MRA4, will not be ready until at least 2011.
Critics have blamed cost-cutting by the Treasury and the MoD for the delays to its introduction.Critics have blamed cost-cutting by the Treasury and the MoD for the delays to its introduction.
John Nichol, a former RAF navigator who was shot down in the first Gulf war, told BBC Radio 4: "Most people say the military are trying to do far too much with far too little." Defence analyst Robert Fox said he felt "there has been neglect in looking after these aircraft".
He said that when military chiefs say publicly that crew safety is paramount, "what they actually mean is the safety of the crew is important weighed against the need for on-going military operations." "The bottom line is we are still trying to run two war-like operations on a peacetime budget," he said.
However, the MoD said the safety of servicemen and women remained its "highest priority".
"In line with this we have continued to adapt our Nimrod force maintenance and operating practices," a spokesman said.
He continued: "We are confident that the aircraft remains fit to fly and all necessary safety measures have been implemented.
"If we did not have confidence in aircraft we would not allow them to be flown."
The Nimrod was originally designed as a sea patrol and anti-submarine aircraft, but is now considered vital to British troops on the ground, especially in Afghanistan, acting as their eyes in the sky gathering intelligence over enemy positions.The Nimrod was originally designed as a sea patrol and anti-submarine aircraft, but is now considered vital to British troops on the ground, especially in Afghanistan, acting as their eyes in the sky gathering intelligence over enemy positions.
The MoD previously defended the RAF Nimrod fleet, saying if it did not have confidence in the aircraft it "would not continue to fly them".
Return to top Return to top