1994 RAF Chinook helicopter crash

On 2 June 1994 an RAF Chinook Mk2 helicopter, ZD 576, crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on a routine, non-operational flight from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness. The two pilots, two crew members and all 25 passengers were killed.

Outcome of the RAF Board of Inquiry

An RAF Board of Inquiry was convened following the incident and carried out a detailed investigation. RAF Board of Inquiry procedure at the time was governed by the Board of Inquiry (Air Force) Rules 1956 (PDF). Board of Inquiry guidelines contained in the RAF Manual of Flight Safety AP3207 were also in force at the time of the accident. They specifically stated that “only in cases in which there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever should deceased aircrew be found negligent”.

The Board of Inquiry concluded that the most probable cause of the accident was the selection of an inappropriate Rate of Climb to overfly the Mull. In its report (PDF) the board did not find that either of the pilots was negligent.

The senior reviewing officers of the Board of Inquiry concluded, however, that while they accepted the preferred scenario of the investigating board, both pilots had been negligent to a gross degree as they had continued to fly their aircraft towards the Mull, below a safe altitude and in unsuitable weather conditions, which was contrary to the basic rules of airmanship.

In 1997 the Board of Inquiry Rules attributing negligence or apportioning blame were changed. The 2021 version of the Queens Regulations for the Air Force, as amended, subsequently said that while any human factors contributing to an incident should be identified, “the board is not to apportion blame or negligence to any individual (s) involved in the incident”. That change did not apply retrospectively.

Calls for an inquiry

The conclusions of the senior reviewing officers were questioned in Parliament and among analysts and the media following the publication of the Board of Inquiry’s findings. Concerns were specifically raised over the acceptance into service of the Chinook Mk2 (PDF) following issues with a newly installed computerised fuel control system (Full Authority Digital Electronic Control system - FADEC).

In its assessment of the Chinook incident in November 2000 the Public Accounts Committee concluded that the findings of the Board of Inquiry did not “satisfy the burden of proof required”. The Committee also questioned the “fairness” of the Board.

House of Lords Inquiry in 2001

Following continued calls for an independent inquiry into the Chinook crash, the House of Lords voted on 30 April 2001 in favour of an investigation by a Lords select committee.

The House of Lords Chinook ZD 576 Report was published on 31 January 2002. It contained a detailed explanation of the background and the circumstances of the crash. The Committee concluded that a finding of gross negligence against the two pilots could not be justified. In its response to that report, the Ministry of Defence said that it did not accept the Committee’s conclusions (PDF).

Independent Review in 2011

Calls for an independent inquiry continued after the publication of the House of Lords report. In an Opposition Day debate on the Chinook crash in March 2002, David Davis MP called for a judicial review of the board of inquiry findings, which he said were a “miscarriage of justice that has gone on for too long”.

In September 2010 the then Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition government announced that there would be an independent review into the crash of Chinook ZD756.

Led by Lord Philip, the conclusions of that review (PDF) were published in July 2011. The review did not comment on the cause of the accident but recommended that the board of inquiry’s finding be set aside. Specifically, it made three key recommendations:

• the finding that the pilots were negligent to a gross degree should be set aside
• the MOD should consider offering an apology to the families of the pilots
• the MOD should reconsider its policy and procedures for the transport of personnel whose responsibilities are vital to national security.

The Ministry of Defence accepted those recommendations. The Board of Inquiry findings were subsequently set aside, and an apology was made to the families of the pilots.

Recent developments

In 2024, many of the families of those who died in the Mull of Kintyre crash established the Chinook Justice Campaign. The group is calling for a public inquiry “to establish the truth and the full circumstances surrounding the accident”, including de-classifying papers relating to the accident that have been sealed by the Ministry of Defence until 2094. On 23 October 2025, the group delivered a petition to Downing Street which calls for a public inquiry into the Chinook crash. That petition, Justice for the 29: Expose the Chinook ZD576 Cover-up, has received over 51,000 signatures.

In June 2025, the Chinook Justice Campaign also launched legal proceedings in a “letter before action” to the UK Government. The campaign group said that the government had rejected their request to unseal papers relating to the incident and that it will now seek a “Judicial Review into the government’s failure, and refusal, to order a judge-led public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the crash, under Article 2 of the Human Rights Act which protects the right to life”.

In early November 2025, the Ministry of Defence said that it is “committed to engaging fully with this process”, and that it was “unable to provide further comment while this work is ongoing”. On 13 November, the MOD said that family members of the victims of the Chinook crash had been invited to meet with Ministers before the end of the year.