Nimrod engineer not told of leaks

Coroner Andrew Walker is known for his independent stance

A top RAF engineer on Nimrod spy planes was not told of increased fuel leaks on the aircraft before one exploded killing 14 men, an inquest has heard.

Wing Cdr John Bromehead agreed with coroner Andrew Walker that this amounted to "a really serious failure".

The aircraft, which was nearly four decades old, exploded minutes after air-to-air refuelling near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on 2 September 2006.

Wing Cdr Bromehead said he believed the cause was a fuel leak that ignited.

'Serious failure'

He told the inquest in Oxford he was not informed in the months before the explosion of the increased leaks on the aircraft, which he described as "beyond its sell-by date".

Mr Walker asked: "Do you think that a failure to report to you an increase in fuel leaks is a really serious failure?"

"Yes," answered Wing Cdr Bromehead.

HOW THE NIMROD CRASHED 1. Nimrod refuels in mid-air 2. Possible fuel over-flow from number one tank 3. Second possible source of leak is pipe couplings behind number seven tank 4. Leaked fuel contacts hot pipe and ignites 5. Fire and smoke alarms triggered in bomb bay and under floor by sensitive wiring Families' tears at Nimrod inquest

He told the inquest he believed the fuel had leaked into a dry bay and caught fire when it came in contact with a hot pipe.

The crew were unable to tackle the fire and so attempted an emergency landing, but at 3,000ft (914m) the aircraft exploded in a ball of flame killing all on board.

Wing Cdr Bromehead, who was in charge of a team of Nimrod engineers at RAF Kinloss between June 2005 and 2006, told the inquest that not every leak was fixed.

Rather, he said, they were dealt with according to severity and ensured to be within "prescribed limits".

He also said there had been "a dilution of skills and experience" among RAF engineers which made it more likely that problems would be missed.

The deaths of the servicemen marked the heaviest loss of life to be suffered by British forces in a single incident since the Falklands War.

It was the fourth Nimrod crash in 36 years of operations.

An RAF Board of Inquiry (BoI) report into the incident concluded that ageing components and a lack of modern fire suppressants were among the "contributory factors" leading to the accident.

Searing temperatures

The BoI report said fuel probably escaped during air-to-air refuelling into a bay on the starboard side of the aircraft either because of a leaking fuel coupling or an overflowing fuel tank.

The fuel probably caught fire when it made contact with hot air pipes - through a gap in insulation - which can reach temperatures of 400C.

The Ministry of Defence has defended the Nimrod fleet's safety record.

The 14 men killed were:

Flight Lieutenant Steven Johnson, 38, from Collingham, Nottinghamshire, Flt Lt Leigh Anthony Mitchelmore, 28, from Bournemouth, Dorset, Flt Lt Gareth Rodney Nicholas, 40, from Redruth, Cornwall, Flt Lt Allan James Squires, 39, from Clatterbridge, Merseyside and Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick, 28, from Liverpool.

Also Flight Sergeant Gary Wayne Andrews, 48, from Tankerton, Kent, Flt Sgt Stephen Beattie, 42, from Dundee, Flt Sgt Gerard Martin Bell, 48, from Newport, Shropshire, and Flt Sgt Adrian Davies, 49, from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, Sergeant Benjamin James Knight, 25, from Bridgwater, Sgt John Joseph Langton, 29,from Liverpool and Sgt Gary Paul Quilliam, 42, from Manchester.

Lance Corporal Oliver Simon Dicketts, of the Parachute Regiment, from Wadhurst and Royal Marine Joseph David Windall, 22, from Hazlemere also died.

The inquest continues.