Coroner: Pilot's ejector seat was "entirely useless"
The coroner investigating the death of a Red Arrows pilot has branded part of the ejection seat on Sean Cunningham's plane as "entirely useless".
Manufacturer failed to warn RAF of ejector seat issue
The family of RAF pilot Sean Cunningham have secured an undisclosed settlement from the Ministry of Defence in December 2013 following a full admission of liability for the incident in July that year.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell said:
"It was revealed during a three-week inquest that seat manufacturer Martin Baker warned air forces in other countries as far back as 1990 about a potential problem where the over tightening of a nut and bolt in the mechanism could cause the parachute to fail to deploy, but did not inform the RAF."
More top news
-
Barnsley man who died from stabbing named
At around 11pm on Friday night police were called to Darley Avenue in Athersley to reports that a man had been stabbed.
-
UK weather forecast. Calendar weather. Cloudy with rain, heavy in west.
This Evening and Tonight: Showers or longer spells of rain are forecast through the evening and night.
-
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 100
For the second day running there were no deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland.