Former defence secretary Sir Liam Fox has said he has “very deep concerns” about the circumstances surrounding the 1994 RAF Chinook helicopter crash and is committed to a full investigation.
Twenty-five intelligence experts and four special forces crew were killed when the helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, en route from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness, on June 2 that year.
The incident was initially blamed on pilot error before this was overturned in 2011.
Families of the victims have said they will “see the UK Government in court” after the Prime Minister rejected calls for a judge-led inquiry.
Sir Liam, who was defence secretary in 2011, this week held a private meeting with some of the 47 children of those killed in the crash.
He said: “It was my pleasure to meet some of the members of the Chinook Justice Campaign and to listen to their harrowing stories, and their suspicions about what may have happened.
“I share their very deep concerns about the circumstances surrounding the crash and I have committed to a full investigation to ensure that the truth is laid before the British people.
“As the defence secretary who, after the conclusions of the Mull of Kintyre Review, cleared the two pilots of blame, I have assured the families that I will give this my full attention and help to establish the truth about what happened.”
It is understood Sir Liam is reviewing files and documents relating to the crash.
More than 40,000 people have now signed a Change.org petition calling for answers over what happened.
Following the crash, pilots Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper were accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned by the UK government 17 years later following a campaign by the families.
A subsequent review by Lord Philip set out “numerous concerns” raised by those who worked on the Chinooks, with the MoD’s testing centre at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire declaring the Chinook Mk2 helicopters “unairworthy” prior to the crash.
With ex Defence Secretary @LiamFox support and more than 40k signatures on our petition, we feel momentum growing. We need a lot more public support - so please continue to sign and share - https://t.co/Fj69Mg03qL pic.twitter.com/H7RPi58EP7
— Chinook Justice (@ChinookJustice) August 22, 2025
Andy Tobias, whose father Lieutenant Colonel John Tobias, 41, an intelligence officer, was killed in the crash, welcomed Sir Liam’s support and said the families “firmly believe that he can help us get to the truth about the circumstances leading up to the crash”.
Mr Tobias said: “The MoD keeps telling us that no new inquiry is necessary, and points to the judge-led inquiry set up by Sir Liam which was established solely to discover whether the pilots were to blame.
“They were cleared. Given Sir Liam supports our case, then the MoD’s argument is void. They must stop trying to gaslight the families of the dead.”
An MoD spokesperson said: “The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died.
“We understand that the lack of certainty about the cause of the crash has added to the distress of the families.
“We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new public inquiry.
“It’s unlikely that a public inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence.
“The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review.”
