Tributes as 'champion of the truth' test pilot dies

Family members, friends and campaigners have paid tribute to a "fearless" and "extraordinarily knowledgeable" former RAF test pilot.

Retired Sqn Ldr Robert Burke, from Hampshire, helped to clear the pilots who were wrongly blamed for the RAF Chinook ZD576 helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre in western Scotland on 2 June 1994, in which four crew and 25 passengers were killed.

The Chinook Justice Campaign said Burke had died on Monday at the age of 86, following a short illness.

Chris Cook, brother of one of the pilots killed in the disaster, said Burke had brought forward "clear evidence that proved, more than ever, how unjust the accusations of gross negligence were".

Campaigners called Burke "instrumental" in uncovering airworthiness failings on the Chinook Mark 2.

In evidence to the House of Lords in October 2001, he revealed he had been given "a direct order" by his superiors "not to discuss this crash with anyone".

Two RAF air marshals had accused Flt Lts Jonathan Tapper, from Norfolk, and Richard Cook, from Hampshire, for the accident.

But a fresh review found they should not have been blamed and the earlier ruling has now been set aside.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson previously said "the lack of certainty" about the crash had added to the distress for families.

Burke, who was based at RAF Odiham at the time of the crash, had exposed serious concerns about the aircraft's airworthiness and had challenged the MoD's account.

He also revealed to the BBC documentary Chinook: Zulu Delta 576, aired in 2024, that the fatal mission was a "show flight" by the RAF to prove to the army that the aircraft was safe.

He said the aircraft "had been cleared against the advice of Boscombe Down" where the most elite test pilots and test engineers had said the helicopter was "positively dangerous".

Susan Phoenix, from Dorset, who has campaigned for 32 years, said it was "heartbreaking" that Burke died "without seeing the MoD admit to the truth".

"But it makes us even more determined to get justice and a fresh inquiry independent of the MoD," she said, adding they hope the prime minister agrees to meet the families.

Former BBC correspondent Tim Reid, who is now spokesperson for the Chinook Justice Campaign, said Burke's death was a "huge and terrible loss to the families and to everyone who has fought for the truth about this disaster".

"His knowledge of the Chinook and the circumstances of the crash was second to none.

"He was an outstanding champion of the truth, an incredible character and a man of extraordinary courage and determination," Reid said.

Retired RAF Wing Commander Bill Southcombe, from Somerset, one of Burke's closest friends and a former colleague flying the Vulcan aircraft, called him "an exceptional man".

"He was fearless, extraordinarily knowledgeable and utterly committed to the truth. We have lost not just an expert, but a dear friend."