Death-crash spy planes are still leaking fuel

Crews on the RAF's ageing Nimrod spy planes have reported more than 300 fuel leaks in the two years since the disastrous crash which claimed 14 lives in Afghanistan in September 2006.

Bob Ainsworth, Defence minister, revealed that since the explosion near Kandahar, which caused the heaviest loss of life in a single incident since the Falklands war, crews had been under an obligation to report all fuel leaks.

In May private correspondence between Mr Ainsworth and his Tory Shadow Liam Fox had suggested there had been 111 fuel leaks since the disaster. However, this week Mr Ainsworth revealed that the figure of 111 referred solely to leaks from fuel tanks inside the fuselage of the 40-year-old craft.

It was this type of leak that caused the Afghanistan explosion on Nimrod XV230 when the fuel came into contact with a hot air pipe after mid-air refuelling.

Graham Knight, the father of Sergeant Ben Knight, 25, who died in the Nimrod crash, reacted angrily last night. "We've said all along that not enough has been done to ensure the safety of these aircraft. That there have been 111 leaks proves the point. Even one leak is too many if it's in the wrong place," he said.

A similar incident to the XV230 catastrophe is believed to have resulted in an emergency landing of a Nimrod in 2007. The Ministry of Defence has admitted that it has not been able to find the cause of that second fuel leak but it suspended all air-to-air refuelling as a result and took the hot air system out of use.

One Nimrod has also been taken out of service and stripped down to check for mechanical problems.

In May, the Oxfordshire coroner called for the entire Nimrod fleet of 18 aircraft to be grounded until they were made safe, following the inquest into the 14 personnel who died. However, the aircraft is essential for operations in Afghanistan – it acts as a radio transmitter enabling ground troops to communicate in the mountainous country – and the MoD has insisted it is safe to fly.

"In November 2006, after the loss of Nimrod XV230, [the Government] introduced mandatory fuel leak reporting procedures on all leaks associated with fuel tanks within the fuselage, the fuel system and any residual fuel found in specific areas of the aircraft," Mr Ainsworth said. "So far, our analysis indicates that since the introduction of these procedures, 111 fuel leaks have been recorded."

He added that, in total, more than 300 leaks had been recorded, half of which were from the wing fuel tanks leaking into the plane's slipstream. Experts say that while it is not unusual to find leaks on aircraft, 111 in such a small fleet seems excessive.

Gerald Howarth, the Conservative defence spokesman, said yesterday: "The leaks are a matter of great concern. It's well known that there have been problems with the fuel system, which is why it is important the Government expedites the programme to replace the fleet."

That £3bn programme to strip down the Nimrods and refurbish them is years behind schedule and millions of pounds over budget. It has left the cash-strapped MoD unable to afford the refurbishment of three R1 Nimrods, which carry out top-secret surveillance.

Instead, the MoD is reportedly on the verge of buying three US aircraft known as RC-135 Rivet Joints, along with listening technology. Some defence experts say this is a tacit admission that the British Nimrod – based on the 1950s Comet airframe – is beyond refurbishment.

Tim Ripley of Jane's Defence Weekly said the R1 had been due for an upgrade to see it through to 2025.

"The airframe is the same as the other Nimrods," he said. "They can't afford to get a new one, and can't keep them going, so they have to come up with a solution to replace the planes."

Craig Hoyle of Flight International magazine said it was becoming "politically unacceptable" to upgrade the Nimrod airframe. "The findings of the board of inquiry report into the crashed Nimrod reach over into the R1 fleet as well."

Nimrod MR2

* In 2006, 14 British service personnel died in an aircraft of this type

RC-135 Rivet Joint

* Unable to refurbish three Nimrod R1s, the UK may buy this US plane instead