Two die in RAF copter crash

Last Modified: 15 Apr 2007
By: Channel 4 News

Two die and four more are injured in an RAF helicopter crash near the Iraq capital.

Two RAF helicopters have crashed near the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing two service personnel and wounding four others.

Defence Secretary Des Browne said that initial reports suggested it was an accident and that an investigation was now underway into what happened.

Mr Browne is himself is under pressure over his handling of media payments to the Royal Navy crew detained in Iran.

Today the Tory leader David Cameron said he should resign unless he could show the armed forces had confidence in him.

The Puma helicopter

It has been in service for more than 35 years
The RAF has 33 of them
Each helicopter has a crew of three
Each helicopter can carry an additional 16 soldiers
The Puma has satellite navigation and landing equipment to help in bad weather

The RAF's puma helicopters operate like battlefield taxis - they're used to move troops and equipment in and out of dangerous areas. Today's crash happened north of Baghdad, near a large American army base, Camp Cook. Two military personnel were killed and four were injured.

British forces in Iraq are usually based in Basra in the south. But it's understood the personnel involved in todays crash included members of the special forces.

Des Browne is expected to stress to MPs that he takes full responsibility for allowing the sailors to get paid for interviews.

It's not the first time a helicopter has crashed in Iraq. Last year four British soldiers were killed when a Lynx was shot down in Basra.

But the defence secretary says this latest crash didn't involve enemy fire. Des Browne is expected to get a rough ride tomorrow when he makes a statement to MPs about the cash-for-stories controversy.

He's expected to once again stress he takes full responsibility for allowing the sailors held in Iran to get paid for media interviews. But he's likely to emphasis it was the navy who actually took the decision - he merely noted it.

So could he be out of a job? Tony Blair's unlikely to get rid of him in the last few weeks of his reign. But Gordon Brown may have other ideas.