New evidence has found that computer software malfunction could be a prime reason behind the tragic crash of the Royal Air Force’s Chinook mk2 helicopter on 2 June 1994.
The Chinook mk2 helicopter, en route from Northern Ireland to Inverness, crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, destroying the bulk of the aircraft and killing special forces crew and 25 senior members of Northern Ireland’s intelligence community.
Written nine months before the crash, an internal MoD document termed the software of the helicopter as positively dangerous, according to BBC.
The document, written by a senior engineering officer at Boscombe Down, said the Chinook mk2 could not be recommended for service and also suggested a rewrite of the computer software.
The report found the engine FADEC (control system) as safety critical and warned any malfunctions or design errors could result into catastrophic effects.
The document revealed 21 category 1 and 153 category 2 anomalies.
During an initial enquiry, however, the RAF found the two pilots of the Chinook helicopter guilty of gross negligence.
