2006 Royal Air Force Nimrod crash: Difference between revisions
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The pilot reported a fire in his bomb-bay. He tried to reach Kandahar air base, taking the aircraft down from 23,000ft to 3,000ft in 90 seconds. An RAF [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier|Harrier]] aircraft followed the Nimrod down and saw a wing explode, followed a few seconds later by the rest of the aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1937063.ece |title=Blast fears as Nimrod planes leak fuel on spy missions |accessdate=2007-06-17 |format= |work=Timesonline }}</ref> |
The pilot reported a fire in his bomb-bay. He tried to reach Kandahar air base, taking the aircraft down from 23,000ft to 3,000ft in 90 seconds. An RAF [[Hawker Siddeley Harrier|Harrier]] aircraft followed the Nimrod down and saw a wing explode, followed a few seconds later by the rest of the aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1937063.ece |title=Blast fears as Nimrod planes leak fuel on spy missions |accessdate=2007-06-17 |format= |work=Timesonline }}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | The crash site was about 25 miles WNW of [[Kandahar Airfield]] (which is located 16 kilometers south-east of the city of [[Kandahar]]) between two villages called Chil Khor and Fatehullah Qala in the [[Panjwaye District]]. <ref> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2340566,00.html </ref>Witnesses included local men Abdul Manan and Haji Eisamuddin. <ref>http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006410086,00.html</ref> |
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A board of inquiry was due to report June 2007. But the report is not now expected to be released until September 2007. |
A board of inquiry was due to report June 2007. But the report is not now expected to be released until September 2007. |
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Revision as of 14:30, 17 June 2007
| Occurrence | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 2, 2006 |
| Summary | On board fire following re-fuel |
| Site | Chalaghor in the Panjwaye District of Kandahar, Afghanistan |
| Aircraft type | Nimrod MR2 |
| Operator | Royal Air Force |
| Registration | XV230 |
| Crew | 14 |
| Fatalities | 14 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The Royal Air Force Nimrod crash in Afghanistan occurred on September 2, 2006 , killing 14 military personnel in Britain's worst single loss since the Falklands War.
Twelve RAF personnel, a Royal Marine and a British Army soldier aboard the Nimrod MR2, XV230 were killed.
The 12 RAF crew were all from No. 120 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Kinloss in Scotland:
- Flight Lieutenant Allan James Squires
- Flight Lieutenant Steven Johnson
- Flight Lieutenant Leigh Anthony Mitchelmore
- Flight Lieutenant Gareth Rodney Nicholas
- Flight Lieutenant Steven Swarbrick
- Flight Sergeant Gary Wayne Andrews
- Flight Sergeant Stephen Beattie
- Flight Sergeant Gerard Martin Bell
- Flight Sergeant Adrian Davies
- Sergeant Benjamin James Knight
- Sergeant John Joseph Langton
- Sergeant Gary Paul Quilliam.
The soldier and marine on board were serving with the newly formed Special Reconnaissance Regiment.
- Lance Corporal Oliver Simon Dicketts, Parachute Regiment
- Royal Marine, Joseph David Windall.
Crash details
The aircraft is believed to have suffered a leak during midair refuelling while it was monitoring a Nato offensive against Taliban insurgents west of Kandahar. The fuel appears to have leaked into the bomb bay where it caught fire, either as the result of an electrical fault or hot air leaking from a heating pipe.
The pilot reported a fire in his bomb-bay. He tried to reach Kandahar air base, taking the aircraft down from 23,000ft to 3,000ft in 90 seconds. An RAF Harrier aircraft followed the Nimrod down and saw a wing explode, followed a few seconds later by the rest of the aircraft.[1]
The crash site was about 25 miles WNW of Kandahar Airfield (which is located 16 kilometers south-east of the city of Kandahar) between two villages called Chil Khor and Fatehullah Qala in the Panjwaye District. [2]Witnesses included local men Abdul Manan and Haji Eisamuddin. [3]
A board of inquiry was due to report June 2007. But the report is not now expected to be released until September 2007.
External links
- Pre-accident pictures of the aircraft
- BBC news Scotland East
- Fourteen personnel in Afghanistan Nimrod crash named
- Nimrod XV230 from Aviation Safety Network
- Nimrod Crew Repatriated to RAF Kinloss
- Sky News report
- Fuel leak blamed for Nimrod disaster The Sunday Times - Britain October 29, 2006
- Memorial for Nimrod crash victims
- Google Earth estimated location of crash site.
- Memorial Garden to our Armed Forces
- On a Wing and a Prayer A BBC Panorama (TV series) investigation shown Monday 4th June 2007.
