ER-MCV: Update – Ainsworth admits it was carrying our Supplies
Mi-26T, registration ER-MCV
Finally true to his name “Slow Bob” Ainswoth admits that ER-MCV the MI-26T helicopter that went down on 14th July was carrying supplies for the British Forces.
Ann Winterton (Congleton, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what supplies were lost when the Mi-26T helicopter carrying supplies to a British base in Afghanistan crashed on 14 July 2009; and of what nationality the crew members of that helicopter were.
Bob Ainsworth (Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence; Coventry North East, Labour)
The Mi-26T helicopter was carrying non-sensitive cargo, including food and fuel, when it crashed. The crew members were Ukrainian.
Perhaps the next questions should be has it or any of its sister craft been tasked with carrying troops and at what cost were the Ukranians bribed into operating this helicopter in such a dangerous area.
Will we also be paying compensation to the families of the Ukrainian crew and how can we ensure that the next time this occurs no civilian lives are lost by operating helicopters in this manner?
Also as a parting shot, why are we employing directly or indirectly dodgy companies that have been implicated in many scams over the past 10 years in many of the worlds trouble spots and whose safety record is not exactly up to scratch thus endangering both service personnel and Afghan civilians.
