§ Mr. Wallaceasked the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made with the investigation and inquiries into the accident involving a Boeing Vertol 234 (Chinook) helicopter at Sumburgh, Shetland on 6 November 1986; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThe investigation of aircraft accidents is the responsibility of the Department's chief inspector of accidents, who has an independent position in carrying out his investigations, which, by law, have to 701W be held in private. It is thus not appropriate for me to make statements about the evidence being gathered and considered during an investigation.
However, the chief inspector issued a special bulletin on 13 November which said that the accident resulted from a catastrophic fatigue of a gear in the forward rotor gearbox. Information passed by the accidents investigation branch to the Civil Aviation Authority has enabled it, acting with the United States Federal Aviation Administration and the aircraft's manufacturer, to take appropriate airworthiness action. Meanwhile, the investigation into the precise mechanism of the gear failure continues and a report will be published in the usual way once the investigation is complete.