§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents have taken place since 1987 when a plane flew over Britain without a pilot; and if he will make a statement outlining the precautions which were taken to avoid any repetition of the problem.
§ Mr. NeubertOther than in brief instances when aircrew have had to eject, the only such occasion of which I am aware is the incident involving a Harrier GR5 aircraft on 22 October 1987 during a production test flight, when the pilot was killed after being ejected accidentally. The aircraft crashed into the sea some 500 miles west of the Republic of Ireland. A summary of the findings of the board of inquiry, including remedial actions taken, was placed in the Library in the usual way.