Nimrod spy planes hit by ‘critical’ failings

Nov 12 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

A NUMBER of major inadequacies in the maintenance and repair of the RAF’s Nimrod spy planes were highlighted shortly before one of the aircraft exploded above Afghanistan, it has been claimed.

A Sunday newspaper reported that an internal defence report had highlighted a dozen “critical” failings during an investigation in to the recurrent problem of fuel leaks in the Nimrod fleet.

The report found that concerns of a low standard of workmanship and inadequate training of mechanics working on the Nimrod fuel system were first identified eight years ago.

It came less than a week after an incident over southern Afghanistan in which a Nimrod suffered a fuel leak.

Experts believe that the circumstances of that scare are similar to those which led to another RAF Nimrod bursting into flames north west of Kandahar in September last year.

Flight Lieutenant Allan Squires, 39, from Clatterbridge, Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick, 28, and Sergeant John Langton, 29 were among the 14 killed.

The official inquiry is expected to point to a fuel leak as the cause.

In addition to the 12 areas of concern found by experts, the report apparently detected a further six factors that appear to have compounded problems relating to the aircraft's fuel system.

It is understood the 36-page report said the age of the plane that exploded over Afghanistan was “considerably beyond the initial design requirement for the aircraft”.

Last night, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “The fuel leak study was initiated to examine the maintenance processes, procedures and working practices for repairing fuel leaks in Nimrod aircraft.

“The study was not initiated as a result of any aircraft safety or airworthiness issue. Safety of all of our personnel has been and will remain of paramount importance.”

davidbarlett@dailypost.co.uk