§ Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all accidents involving Buccaneer aircraft since 1977, together with the route being flown in each case; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanBetween 1 January 1977 and 31 December 1979 there were six accidents to Royal Air Force Buccaneer aircraft, classified as major (category 4 or 5) accidents:
Date Location 3 February 1977 Vokel, FRG 4 April 1977 Claerwen Reservoir, Wales 8 August 1977 Laarbruch, FRG 31 October 1977 Glomfjorden, Norway 21 June 1978 Nordholz, FRG 12 July 1979 Furstenau, FRG Since 1 January 1977, there have also been 23 accidents classified as category 3 (repairable locally). It would not be possible to list these without disproportionate cost and effort. Nor would it be possible to identify the routes flown by all these aircraft before the accidents without disproportionate cost and effort. However, since 1980, there have been placed in the Library of the House summaries of the findings of RAF boards of inquiry into all major Buccaneer accidents.