HC Deb 12 December 1996 vol 287 cc345-6W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the accident to Jaguar No. XZ396 in 1995; what was the damage category of the aircraft; at what location repairs were undertaken; and on what date the aircraft re-entered service. [8605]

Mr. Soames

As a result of an incident in 1995, Jaguar XZ396 received category 3 damage which was repaired at RAF Coltishall. The aircraft was returned to service on 23 April 1996.

Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances of the accident involving a Royal Air Force Jaguar in Alaska on 24 July. [8604]

Mr. Soames

The aircraft was participating in Cope Thunder, a major United States air force exercise designed to provide aircrew with the opportunity to develop advanced tactics and procedures in joint air operations, when it crashed some 40 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska. The pilot ejected safely. An RAF board of inquiry has been convened to determine the cause of this accident and consider what action may be necessary to minimise the risk of recurrence.