British MoD admits faults over Australian airman’s death
Author: mgiles | Category: Accidents
Aust Nav in RAF Crash
The British Ministry of Defence has admitted there was a litany of faults with a
military transport plane that crashed in Iraq in 2005, killing 10 servicemen
including an Australian navigator.
Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel, 35, was flying on the Hercules when
it was shot down by insurgents.
Last year a British coroner found there were serious systematic failures in
measures to protect the 10 men on board.
Now it has been revealed that the C-130 had other faults.
In the Ministry’s response to a negligence claim filed by the Australian airman’s
widow, Kellie Merritt, it admits the plane had outdated wings and intelligence
system failures.
Ms Merritt – who lives in Canberra with her three children – says it has been a
long battle for the truth.
“I was always quite aware of the extensive nature of the failings that led to
Paul’s crash, but for the MOD to concede its negligence is quite extraordinary and
I’m quite amazed really that that’s happened,” she said.
“It’s been quite a journey, so it does being closure.”
The claim will now allow Ms Merritt and families of other crew members to seek
compensation.
It might be one of the first to confirm a decision made by British judges last
week, that the UK’s Human Rights Act can be applied to their troops on the
battlefield.
Ms Merritt’s lawyer Bernard Collaery believes the ruling might have wider
implications, including for the Australian Defence Force.
“I believe this case needs to be examined by the coalition forces particularly,” he
said. “Certainly the British servicemen and women have more protection in that
sense than ours do now.”
Original at http://www.newstin.co.uk/tag/uk/123311924