FED: Inquiry can't make individual findings

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2006
FED: Inquiry can't make individual findings

SYDNEY, Aug 11 AAP - An inquiry into last year's Sea King crash in Indonesia will not
be able to make findings against individuals on the helicopter's condition, with the father
of one of the victims labelling the investigation a "fiasco".

The Australian Navy Sea King helicopter was approaching an earthquake-ravaged village
on the island of Nias when it nose-dived on April 2 last year, killing nine Australian
defence force personnel.

According to Fairfax newspapers today, the board of inquiry into the tragedy, being
held at the Randwick Army Barracks in Sydney, will not be able to make findings against
individuals on the helicopter's condition, including decisions about seats and harnesses
which could have saved the lives of some of the nine.

The Maritime Commander, Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas, ruled the board could only make
findings about the Australian Defence Force or "systemic issues", not individuals, the
papers said.

The move follows a claim of bias by one of the senior defence figures, Air Commodore
Noel Schmidt, who was a possible "affected party".

A spokeswoman for Rear Admiral Thomas said the decision had involved consultation with
all stakeholders including the victims' families, all legal counsel at the inquiry and
independent senior legal counsel.

But Doug Goodall, the father of 25-year-old Lieutenant Matthew Goodall, who died in
the crash, labelled the investigation a "fiasco", Fairfax said.

AAP af/cmc

KEYWORD: SEAKING

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