Alex Easton MP calls for full judge-led public inquiry into Chinook ZD576 disaster during Westminster Hall debate

 

Alex Easton MP calls for full judge-led public inquiry into Chinook ZD576 disaster during Westminster Hall debate

 

Alex Easton MP has used a Westminster Hall debate to make his strongest and most comprehensive call yet for a full, independent, judge-led public inquiry into the crash of RAF Chinook ZD576 on the Mull of Kintyre on 2 June 1994. Speaking in Parliament, Mr Easton backed the Chinook Justice Campaign and the families of those who died, describing the crash and its aftermath as “a tragedy compounded by decades of unanswered questions and incomplete accountability.”

 

On that day, Chinook ZD576 crashed, killing all 29 people on board: nine senior military officers, ten Royal Ulster Constabulary Special Branch officers, five MI5 officers, a senior civil servant and four highly skilled members of the RAF aircrew.

 

Addressing the debate, Alex Easton MP said:

 

“The 2nd of June 1994 was a dark, dark day in the history of our United Kingdom. Those on board were not only servants of the state; they were husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, friends. They carried on their shoulders some of the most sensitive responsibilities in the defence and security of our country. And they lost their lives in the course of that service.”

 

Mr Easton said that, more than three decades on, the families of those who died are still waiting for a process that meets the standards expected in a modern democracy.

 

“More than thirty years later, the quest for truth and justice in relation to that crash remains as relevant, as urgent, and as morally compelling as it has ever been,” he said.

 

“The investigations and inquiries to date have, sadly, not met the standard that those families, or this country, are entitled to expect. We have seen gaps in the chain of evidence, missing or incomplete documentation, the then Secretary of State for Defence being given an incomplete briefing, key information withheld or redacted, and manuals produced with pages missing. All that has gone before can fairly be said to have been weighed in the balance of justice and found severely wanting.”

 

Mr Easton told Parliament that the only remaining route to truth, transparency and accountability is a statutory judge-led public inquiry.

 

“What is now undoubtedly clear is that we must give a proper, final opportunity for the truth to be told — in full, in public, under oath, with the power to compel witnesses and require the production of documents, and without fear or favour.

 

“Those on board Chinook ZD576 gave their lives in the service of our country. In all conscience, the very minimum we can give in return is a process worthy of their sacrifice and worthy of the trust that their families once placed — and wish to place again — in the institutions of this state. We can do this. The only question is whether we will.”

 

Backed by tens of thousands of citizens

 

Mr Easton highlighted that his demand reflects growing public expectation, with tens of thousands of people backing the Chinook Justice Campaign and signing a petition calling for a public inquiry.

 

“Today I speak with the clear backing of tens of thousands of British citizens to demand a full public inquiry — because nothing less will provide justice for the dead, nor restore faith among the living.

 

“At the very least, any functioning democracy must be able to answer three basic questions in circumstances such as these: What happened? Why did it happen? What have we done — or what are we going to do — to ensure it can never happen again?

 

“The families themselves have set out what is required: a fully independent, judge-led public inquiry with statutory powers to compel witnesses and to take evidence under oath; access to all relevant material — including currently sealed documentation; and clear recommendations to ensure such failings are never repeated.”

 

Mishandling and unanswered questions

 

In his speech, Mr Easton described the handling of the aftermath as “a second tragedy,” noting the original verdict of gross negligence against the pilots — a verdict later overturned.

 

“We saw the initial finding of gross negligence against the pilots. We saw the long campaign by the families to clear their names. We have questions about aircraft airworthiness, software faults, pressure on crews, and missing or conflicting evidence.

 

“Years later, the pilots were posthumously cleared. That fact alone should give every one of us pause.”

 

He added:

 

“If the state can wrongly pin gross negligence on two airmen who cannot speak in their own defence — because dead men don’t talk — then how can anyone have confidence that the full truth has ever been examined?”

 

A constitutional, moral and practical imperative

 

Mr Easton set out what he termed the moral, constitutional and practical justification for a public inquiry, arguing that only a statutory enquiry has the powers necessary to establish the truth.

 

“Our democracy only functions if the public can trust that when something goes terribly wrong, the state does not close ranks.

 

“A full, judge-led public inquiry is the only mechanism capable of compelling evidence, compelling testimony, and testing conflicting accounts.”

 

Answering objections to an inquiry, he rejected arguments about the passage of time, cost and national security as insufficient grounds for continued delay.

 

“Time is not an excuse — it is a reason to act. Justice delayed is justice denied.”

 

Formal call to government

 

Mr Easton ended by formally urging the Government to establish a judge-led statutory inquiry with full legal powers.

 

“For the 29 souls who lost their lives on 2 June 1994, and for the families who have carried this burden with dignity and determination, I ask those in authority to choose the path of courage.

 

“The time for partial answers has passed. The time for full truth and full accountability is now.”

 

 

Alex Easton MP

Member of Parliament for North Down