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19/04/2007
Iraq helicopter crash was due to 'mechanical failure'
The death of eight British servicemen in a US helicopter crash at the beginning of the Iraq war was caused by a "mechanical failure", a coroner has ruled.
The finding contradicts the findings of the US inquiry, which said that the pilots had become "spatially disoriented" during bad weather.
The UK inquiry was conducted by Oxford coroner Andrew Walker, who had earlier criticised the US for failing to co-operate with the inquest.
The US then supplied the inquest with an edited report on the crash.
Recording a narrative verdict, Mr Walker said that there was "no evidence whatsoever" that pilot error in the form of spatial disorientation was the cause of the crash, based on the evidence he had seen.
A British board of inquiry into the crash had also blamed a technical fault for the crash, but this verdict was later overruled by British defence chiefs who endorsed the findings of the US inquiry.
The helicopter, a US CH-46 Sea Knight, crashed several miles south of the border with Kuwait on March 21.
The British victims were: Royal Marines Colour Sergeant John Cecil, 35, from Plymouth, Devon; Captain Philip Guy, 29, from Bishopdale, North Yorkshire; Marine Sholto Hedenskog, 26, from Cape Town, South Africa; Warrant Officer 2 Mark Stratford, 39, from Plymouth; and Major Jason Ward, 34, from Torquay, Devon; Operator Mechanic (Communications) Second Class Ian Seymour, 29, from Poole in Dorset; Sergeant Les Hehir, 34, also from Poole; and Lance Bombardier Llywelyn Evans, 24, from Llandudno, north Wales.
Four US servicemen were also killed.
(KMcA/JM)
The finding contradicts the findings of the US inquiry, which said that the pilots had become "spatially disoriented" during bad weather.
The UK inquiry was conducted by Oxford coroner Andrew Walker, who had earlier criticised the US for failing to co-operate with the inquest.
The US then supplied the inquest with an edited report on the crash.
Recording a narrative verdict, Mr Walker said that there was "no evidence whatsoever" that pilot error in the form of spatial disorientation was the cause of the crash, based on the evidence he had seen.
A British board of inquiry into the crash had also blamed a technical fault for the crash, but this verdict was later overruled by British defence chiefs who endorsed the findings of the US inquiry.
The helicopter, a US CH-46 Sea Knight, crashed several miles south of the border with Kuwait on March 21.
The British victims were: Royal Marines Colour Sergeant John Cecil, 35, from Plymouth, Devon; Captain Philip Guy, 29, from Bishopdale, North Yorkshire; Marine Sholto Hedenskog, 26, from Cape Town, South Africa; Warrant Officer 2 Mark Stratford, 39, from Plymouth; and Major Jason Ward, 34, from Torquay, Devon; Operator Mechanic (Communications) Second Class Ian Seymour, 29, from Poole in Dorset; Sergeant Les Hehir, 34, also from Poole; and Lance Bombardier Llywelyn Evans, 24, from Llandudno, north Wales.
Four US servicemen were also killed.
(KMcA/JM)
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