Tributes to former test pilot who campaigned for Chinook crash families

Families of those who died in the 1994 RAF Chinook helicopter crash have paid tribute to a former RAF chief test pilot whose evidence helped clear the pilots who were wrongly blamed.Former squadron leader Robert Burke, from Hampshire, died on Monday October 26 aged 86 following a short illness, the Chinook Justice Campaign said.Twenty-five intelligence experts and four special forces crew were killed when the helicopter crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, en route from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness, on June 2 1994.Following the crash, pilots Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper were accused of gross negligence but this verdict was overturned by the UK Government 17 years later following a campaign by the families.The Chinook crashed on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994 (Chris Bacon/PA)PA WireA subsequent review by Lord Philip set out numerous concerns raised by those who worked on the Chinooks.Campaigners said that former squadron leader Burke exposed serious concerns about the aircraft’s airworthiness and challenged the Ministry of Defence’s account of the crash.Chris Cook, from Hampshire, who spent years campaigning to clear his brother Richard’s name, said: “Robert was an officer of great integrity and professionalism.“When he retired and courageously stepped forward to support the Chinook pilots’ campaign for justice, he brought forward clear evidence that proved, more than ever, how unjust the accusations of gross negligence were.“His knowledge, experience and witness testimony were critical in the long campaign to clear the pilots’ names, achieving success, no question. Both the Cook and Tapper families can never thank Robert enough.”During the summer, a High Court judge in London ruled that the families of several victims of the crash could not bring a legal claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over the incident.More than 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Prime Minister to order a fresh review independent of the MoD and campaigners are urging others to sign it at change.org/JusticeForThe29.Read MoreSusan Phoenix, from Dorset, whose husband Ian was killed, paid tribute to former squadron leader Burke.She said: “He knew that vital questions remained unanswered and that the families deserved better, and he told us recently that he would do anything for the campaign to ensure we got to the truth.“The greatest tribute we can pay him is to continue the fight and ensure the evidence he worked so tirelessly to uncover is finally, properly, examined and that the MoD stops marking its own homework.“That’s why we hope that the Prime Minister agrees to meet us and will help us to carry Robert’s legacy forward.”His death follows that earlier this year of aeronautical engineer David Hill, another expert who challenged the official account of the disaster, and the eldest campaigner John Dockerty, 96, whose son Chris died in the crash.Nicola Rawcliffe, from Norfolk, daughter of John Dockerty and brother of Chris, said: “Robert has been a lynchpin of our campaign over three decades.“We cannot pay tribute to him highly enough and we cannot believe another campaigner and source of truth has died this year.”She added: “While his death is another devastating blow to the campaign, we will fight on until we get justice in tribute to him, to David Hill and my father and to keep their legacies alive.”An RAF Spokesperson said: “We are sorry to learn of the death of RAF veteran Sqn Ldr Robert Burke and offer our condolences to his family and loved ones at this difficult time.”