tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post4689960977387148724..comments2024-03-29T05:53:21.060+00:00Comments on SCOT goes POP!: A decade-and-a-half of institutional pigheadedness at the MoDJames Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-48995701015223492782011-07-16T16:52:40.718+01:002011-07-16T16:52:40.718+01:00Thanks for that, Doug. I think the issue you'...Thanks for that, Doug. I think the issue you've just raised highlights the vital importance of the most basic point - the pilots should never have been found guilty of gross negligence without first being given the opportunity to answer the question "why were you flying so low?". The fact that they weren't in a position to explain themselves on that point is precisely why the "absolutely no doubt whatsoever" test was in place - and yet it was flagrantly disregarded.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-46371020643749129972011-07-16T11:27:43.920+01:002011-07-16T11:27:43.920+01:00James, this is a comment I originally put on Sub-r...James, this is a comment I originally put on Sub-rosa's blog but I've also included a link to an <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/officer-backs-raf-cover-up-claim-flight-lieutenant-claims-home-was-raided-after-chinook-letters-1.206578" rel="nofollow">article</a> which appeared in the Herald in December 2000. In it a Flt Lt MacKenzie also claims that the Chinook was en route to Machrihanish not Inverness although he states that the reason it was so low was to avoid the radar coverage from Prestwick. The destination and reason for the flight have become sucked into a security world where nothing is quite what it seems and where the reputation of the pilots has become secondary to the need to hide information from the public.<br /><br />Around the time of the crash there were reports in the Private Eye that British intelligence from various services in Northern Ireland were meeting with American intelligence in Machrihanish in order to minimise the chances of the meetings becoming known in Northern Ireland. Machrihanish is closer to Prestwick international airport than it is to Belfast and is just a short flight away for both Northern Ireland security personnel coming from Belfast and Americans flying in from the States. <br /><br />If the chinook was flying to Machrihanish from Belfast everything makes sense. Look at a map and you'll see the Kintyre peninsula points almost directly at Belfast where the flight originated. The questioning and uncertainty about why they flew so so low and why they made no contact about aircraft problems only applies if they were heading for Inverness not Machrihanish. If they were heading for Machrihanish then there is no reason to question their height or lack of distress calls. The problem everyone has is trying to explain why experienced pilots with valuable passengers were flying so low on the way to Inverness. <br /><br />If the pilots were flying in poor visibility with no radar trusting their navigation systems the obvious and safe route was to fly up the west coast of Kintyre keeping in visual contact with the sea surface and then make a dog leg east and come in low and slow over the low-lying west facing beach in front of Machrihanish. That part of the coast is flat and level and leads directly to the Machrihanish airfield. In poor visibility the pilots would have kept low to keep visual contact with the sea surface and to identify the coast when they came in over the beach.<br /><br />What I am almost sure happened is that the navigation system failed and placed the pilots too far east and they hit the Mull of Kintyre instead of flying to the west of it. It was equipment failure not pilot error.<br /><br />Flying at less than 5,000 feet across Scotland in bad visibility with no radar is suicidal when many of Scotland's mountains rise well above 4,000 feet. The only reason that has been offered is that they had engine problems but this is complicated by the fact they made no distress calls.<br /><br />The only explanations for the low height of the aircraft are:<br /><br />1. The pilots were playing silly buggers by flying at a low level as they approached the Scottish coast and playing a game of dodge the mountain which they lost.<br /><br />2. They were on their way to Machrihanish in poor visibility which explains why they were so low and in visual contact with the sea surface and also explains why they made no distress calls because they had no engine problems. A failure in their navigation system flew them into the Mull.<br /><br />The whole mess has been caused by the MOD claiming the helicopter was flying to Inverness. Once they'd made the initial lie they couldn't change it. No-one flies low in a helicopter through mountains in poor visibility and with no radar with a cargo of extremely valuable passengers. The reason the helicopter was low was that it was on the way to the airbase in Machrihanish.DougtheDughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02952281599715356995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-61663722676711607092011-07-16T03:32:00.062+01:002011-07-16T03:32:00.062+01:00I'm relieved to hear he isn't a medical do...I'm relieved to hear he isn't a medical doctor, Tris, his bedside manner doesn't bear thinking about!James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-15673489049474729032011-07-15T09:00:02.554+01:002011-07-15T09:00:02.554+01:00The management level in government departments see...The management level in government departments seem to be prepared to go to any lengths to protect themselves. The families of these two men have had to dedicate much of their lives over the past 16 years, to clearing their kins' names.<br /><br />The frightening thing is that many families would not have had the ability or the money to take on the MoD. <br /><br />Given that the two pilots have been cleared, can we now expect that the people who were responsible will face charges?<br /><br />Interesting piece on Mrs Liddell, James. I imagine that it would be very difficult, nigh impossible, to like John Reid. I would particularly agree with the "patronising" part. He seemed to think that his PhD (thesis on the slave trade) gave him the right to talk down to everyone on every subject.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com