No inquiry into Tornado crash deaths

Airmen (from left) Sqn Ldr Samuel Bailey, Flt Lt Hywel Poole and Flt Lt Adam Sanders died in the crash

A fatal accident inquiry will not be held into a collision between two RAF Tornado GR4 jets three years ago, the Crown Office has said.

Three airmen were killed and another seriously injured when the aircraft collided over the Moray Firth in northern Scotland.
The planes from 15 (Reserve) Sqn at RAF Lossiemouth, in Moray, crashed into the sea during a training flight.
SNP MP Angus Robertson said he was extremely disappointed by the decision.
Mr Robertson, who represents Moray at Westminster, had been calling for an inquiry.
He said: "I am totally mystified why there won't be a Fatal Accident Inquiry. There are critical outstanding questions about Tornado safety and the delayed collision warning system.
"The MOD failed in its duty of care towards the RAF personnel involved in the Tornado collision. I believe they, their families and colleagues deserved better and a proper inquiry."
Each of the Tornados had two crew members on board when they crashed in July 2012.
Flt Lt Hywel Poole, 28, who was born in Menai Bridge on Anglesey in north Wales, died in hospital after being airlifted from the scene.
Sqn Ldr Samuel Bailey, 36, from Nottingham, and Flt Lt Adam Sanders, 27, who grew up in Lancashire, were also killed.
A fourth RAF serviceman, Sqd Ldr Paul Evans, survived but was badly injured.
'Thorough consideration' The Crown Office said the incident had been the subject of a "very detailed" report following an investigation by the Military Aviation Authority (MAA).
All of the 42 recommendations in the MAA report have been accepted by the Ministry of Defence and were in the process of being implemented, including installation of collision warning systems, the Crown Office said.
It said the purpose of an FAI was to set out in law to establish the cause of death and ensure that lessons are learned for the future.
In a statement, the Crown Office said: "After thorough consideration of the circumstances of the case, Crown Counsel have concluded that all the relevant issues have been comprehensively examined in the course of the Military Aviation Authority report and could not have been better considered in any FAI."
The Crown Office said an FAI "would only duplicate the months of thorough work undertaken by the Military Air Accident Investigation Branch and the Military Aviation Authority in preparing the Service Inquiry".
It added: "As a result, Crown Counsel have instructed that no FAI is to be held."
The RAF said the original inquiry had made 42 recommendations, all of which had been implemented including the "ongoing introduction" of a collision avoidance system.