XV179

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Please improve this article if you can. (November 2006)

XV179 was a RAF Hercules shot down in Iraq in 2005.

On September 18, 2006, The United Kingdom's Channel 4 News aired an article criticizing the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) for having only fitted 1 C-130 Hercules with a foam suppressant system which could well have prevented the loss of aircraft XV179, which was shot down in January 2005, killing all 10 on board.

1 Crew
2 Background
3 Controversy
4 References

[edit] Crew

Those killed included eight crew from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, another RAF serviceman and one soldier.^[1]

The Lyneham crew members were

Flt Lt David Stead, 35,
Flt Lt Andrew Smith, 25, *
Flt Lt Paul Pardoel, 35,
Master Engineer Gary Nicholson, 42,
Chief Technician Richard Brown, 40,
Flt Sgt Mark Gibson, 34,
Sgt Robert O'Connor, 38,
Cpl David Williams, 37.

The ninth RAF man on board, Sqn Ldr Patrick Marshall, 39, was from Strike Command Headquarters, at RAF High Wycombe.

Acting L/Cpl Steven Jones, 25, was a soldier serving with the Royal Signals and a passenger on the Hercules.

[edit] Background

On January 30, 2005, RAF Hercules XV179 took off from Bagdhad at 1622 GMT. Six minutes later it reported a fire on board, and it was reported missing 24 minutes later. Subsequent investigations revealed that the aircraft had been shot down by ground fire, a projectile had entered the starboard wing fuel tank, causing the aircraft to become uncontrollable. An internal RAF investigation concluded that a foam suppressant system might have prevented the loss of the aircraft and that 'as a matter of urgency' all aircraft exposed to such risks should be fitted, at a cost of £600,000 each.

[edit] Controversy

Most United States Air Force (USAF) Hercules aircraft are fitted with ESF and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Hercules are aircraft to be fitted with the foam system. Pilots from those Air Forces serving on exchange expressed grave concerns about the safety of RAF Hercules, as did some RAF pilots themselves. However, most accepted that there was a degree of military risk in their jobs, and like Steady and his crew, got on with it.

Air Marshall Sir John Baird, in writing to a relative of a killed sericeman called the situation a national disgrace, he said fitting the foam system now was 'too little, too late'. The current Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Glen Torpy stated in writing to a relative of one killed stated that all British servicemen are given all necessary safety equipment to do their mission and that 'until the loss of XV179, the Hercules aircraft was not judged vulnerable to this kind of attack', though quite why such aircraft take the evasive flight manouvres they do when flying in these areas was not alluded to. It was also noted in the program that XV179 was not the first Hercules flying in Iraq to be hit in the fuel tank by ground fire.

No one from the MOD was available to be interviewed by Channel 4 news, though a statement was issued:

"Our aircraft are fitted with defence and survivability aids to reflect the operational environment in which they are deployed, however, no operational flying can ever be risk free. Since the loss of XV179 the MOD has started fuel tank inerting as a matter of urgency and we have decided to fit the explosive suppressant foam to some of our aircraft. The first aircraft is now fully fitted."

References