Tornado Aircraft (Hansard, 8 December 1994)

§ Dr. David Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado aircraft have been lost in accidents in each of the last five years; and what has been the total cost of these accidents.

§ Mr. Soames
The information requested is as follows:

1990—5

1991—4

1992—0

1993—1

1994—6

No replacement costs arise for these aircraft since there is an attrition reserve from which aircraft are taken to replace those lost. Records are not maintained centrally of other costs that may arise from an accident, such as aircraft salvage or third party claims.

§ Dr. David Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the safety records of Tornado F3s and GR1s.

§ Mr. Soames
The safety of aircraft in service is monitored continually by the RAF. The safety record of the Tornado compares favourably with other fast-jet types operated in a similar environment. Overall, the Tornado has had a low loss rate since it entered service.

§ Dr. David Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department has taken to remedy any technical problems which have caused Tornado accidents in the past five years.

§ Mr. Soames
One of the completed RAF boards of inquiry into Tornado accidents in the past five years has identified a technical problem as the cause. As a result of312W the accident on 30 April 1990 in Canada, modifications were made to the Tornado's RB 199 engine to improve fire protection.

§ Dr. David Clark
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the RAF's inspectorate of flight safety report into Tornado crashes will be published; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Soames
The RAF inspectorate of flight safety has not been tasked to produce a specific report on Tornado crashes. All RAF aircraft accidents are subject to an RAF board of inquiry, which conducts a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of each accident. Summaries of boards of inquiry findings are placed in the Library of the House. The safety of all RAF aircraft types are, however, kept under constant review.