Content area
Full Text
M2 PRESSWIRE-December 5, 2007-UK Government: Publication of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) Report into the loss of Nimrod XV230 (C)1994- 2007 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
Today the MoD published the BOI report into the tragic loss of Nimrod XV230 in which 14 servicemen lost their lives on 2 September 2006.
Des Browne, the Secretary of State for Defence said:
"I pay tribute to the fourteen Service personnel who lost their lives in this tragic incident. My thoughts are with their families and friends and, indeed, the men and women of the Armed Forces who I know feel the loss of their colleagues very deeply.
"The Board of Inquiry established the most probable cause of the fire and subsequent loss of XV230 and in doing so identified failings for which the Ministry of Defence must take responsibility. On behalf of the MOD and the Royal Air Force, I would like to apologise to the House of Commons, and most of all to those who lost their lives, and to their families. I am sorry.
"My Department has taken a number of steps to ensure that a similar accident cannot occur again. We are learning the lessons from the accident and have already implemented many of the recommendations of the BOI report. On the basis of these actions, the Chief of the Air Staff's professional judgment is that the Nimrod fleet is safe to fly.
I have accepted his advice. I have, however, decided to put in place a review of the arrangements for assuring the airworthiness and safe operation of the Nimrod MR2. This review will be led...