UK coroner disputes U.S. findings in (2003) Iraq crash

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

UK coroner disputes U.S. findings in Iraq crash

By Peter Graff
1 hour, 46 minutes ago

LONDON (Reuters) - A British coroner contradicted the U.S. military
on Thursday over the cause of a deadly helicopter crash during the
invasion of Iraq, the latest ruling to expose discord between the two
battlefield allies.

The eight British Royal Marines and four U.S. air crew killed in the
crash were the first fatalities of the war. They died in the first
hours of the conflict when a U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 helicopter
crashed south of the Kuwait border.

Washington has concluded that the crash was caused by the pilot
becoming disoriented.

But British coroner Andrew Walker ruled on Thursday it was a result
of mechanical failure, a conclusion that could significantly alter the
official account of the invasion's early hours when British troops
played a crucial role.

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Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070419/wl_nm/iraq_britain_inquest_dc