MoD's FLAWED CONCLUSIONS 'CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND'

MoD's FLAWED CONCLUSIONS 'CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND'

SNP DEFENCE SPOKESMAN ON CHINOOK REVELATIONS

SNP Westminster Leader and Defence Spokesperson Angus Robertson MP has
hit out at the MoD after fresh evidence emerged suggesting the Mull of
Kintyre Chinook disaster may have been caused by a computer fault, and
not human error.

The SNP have long campaigned to exonerate Flight Lieutenants Jonathan
Tapper and Richard Cook who were wrongfully blamed by the MoD for the
1994 crash which killed all 29 people on board.

Commenting, Mr Robertson, who tabled a motion in the UK Parliament in 2002
calling for the MoD's conclusion to be overturned, said:

"The initial RAF internal finding, the Fatal Accident Inquiry, and a
House of Lords report all concluded that there was no evidence that the
pilots were to blame. This latest evidence undermines the MoD's false
conclusion even further.

"The position of the MoD is untenable, and their hurtful and flawed
verdict cannot be allowed to stand.

"The pilots - both of whom had unblemished flying records - must be
exonerated."

"The families of Flight Lieutenants Tapper and Cook deserve the full
facts - both of how their sons died and why they were made scapegoats for
this tragedy."