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A "FUNDAMENTAL design fault" led to the explosion that caused a spy plane in Afghanistan to crash, killing the 14 servicemen on board, an inquest has heard.

Royal Marine Joseph Windall, 22 from Hazlemere and Flight Sergeant Adrian Davies, 49, born in Amersham, were among those killed.

The coroner had previously heard that the accident was due to a fuel leak that ignited with a hot air pipe.

Today a senior RAF officer told Oxford Coroners Court that the danger could have have been spotted by a hazard assessment of the Nimrod.

Air Commodore George Baber headed the Integrated Project Team that carried out a hazard analysis of the plane.

He said: "At the heart of this was a fundamental design flaw.

"We failed to catch that design flaw. The consequences were catastrophic and that is why we are here today."

He added that the flaw was to have fuel in the same compartment as the hot air pipe.

The 37-year-old reconnaissance aircraft exploded in a ball of flames just minutes after undergoing air-to-air refuelling near Kandahar on September 2, 2006.

The deaths of the servicemen was the heaviest loss of life to be suffered by British forces in a single incident since the Falklands War.

The crew had no means of attacking the principal fire and had no choice but to attempt an emergency descent to the Kandahar airbase but, at 3,000ft, the aircraft was seen by a RAF Harrier pilot to explode in a ball of flame, just six minutes after the blaze broke out.

The 12 RAF personnel killed were Flight Lieutenant Steven Johnson, Flt Lt Leigh Anthony Mitchelmore, Flt Lt Gareth Rodney Nicholas, Flt Lt Allan James Squires, Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick, Flight Sergeant Gary Wayne Andrews, Flt Sgt Stephen Beattie, Flt Sgt Gerard Martin Bell and Flt Sgt Adrian Davies, Sergeant Benjamin James Knight, Sgt John Joseph Langton and Sgt Gary Paul Quilliam.

Lance Corporal Oliver Simon Dicketts, from the Parachute Regiment, and Royal Marine Joseph David Windall also died.

The inquest continues.

3:50pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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