Overview
- Mr Justice Butcher ruled on July 14, 2026 that the Chinook Justice Campaign’s claim against the Ministry of Defence could not proceed because it was brought too late and lacked cogent grounds to revive investigative obligations.
- The Chinook Justice Campaign represents more than 55 relatives of 25 victims and argued the HC‑2’s recent upgrade, three engine replacements on the helicopter and Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment criticisms create an arguable case that the aircraft was unsafe.
- The Ministry of Defence told the court the crash has been examined in multiple probes, that evidence has become scarce with time, and that a further inquiry would be unlikely to yield meaningful results.
- Families described the ruling as a grave injustice and said they will pursue other options, including an application to the European Court of Human Rights, to seek answers and accountability.
- The dispute follows a 1995 Board of Inquiry that blamed the pilots and a 2011 Mull of Kintyre review that overturned that finding but did not establish a cause, leaving long‑running safety and accountability questions unresolved.