Families of Chinook crash victims to launch legal action against MoD
Families sue MoD for answers over 1994 Chinook crash that killed 29
- Families of the 29 people killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre are launching legal action against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for not ordering a public inquiry.
- The families, united as the Chinook Justice Campaign, believe a High Court judge should review previously unexamined information that could shed light on the helicopter's airworthiness, alleging the government is breaching human rights obligations by failing to order an inquiry.
- Solicitor Mark Stephens, representing the families, asserts the MoD failed to apply appropriate safeguards, putting passengers and crew on a known dangerous aircraft, leading to the call for a judicial review into the government's failure to hold a public inquiry.
- Following the crash, the Chinook's pilots were initially accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned 17 years later; a subsequent review highlighted concerns about the Chinook Mk2 helicopters' airworthiness prior to the crash.
- The families want answers about the circumstances of the crash, questioning who made the decision to allow the helicopter to take off and what information is being hidden, while the MoD claims early release of sealed documents would breach data protection rights.