§ Lord Hill-Nortonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the military involvement in the search for the unidentified object that witnesses believe exploded in mid air, before crashing into the sea off the Isle of Lewis on 26 October 1996, and what liaison took place with the US authorities with regard to this incident.
§ Lord GilbertFollowing media reports of an explosion, initially attributed to a mid-air collision north of the Butt of Lewis, an extensive search of the area was carried out by RAF and Coastguard Search and Rescue assets, but was later abandoned after it became clear that no aircraft had been reported overdue. HQ US 3rd Air Force were also approached at the time. They confirmed that there had been no US military activity in the area.