Leak sparks Nimrod fleet fears

Initial investigations into the fuel leak on Monday have found that the pilot of the surveillance plane was unable to make a Mayday call to air traffic controllers, according to reports.

The crew's log is also said to record that the bomb bay doors were "wet with fuel" during the incident. The aircraft eventually landed safely.

The Ministry of Defence said that all air-to-air refuelling of Nimrods had been suspended "as a precaution" while a full probe was carried out.

Experts believe that the circumstances of the latest scare are similar to those which led to another RAF Nimrod, tail number XV230, bursting into flames north west of Kandahar in September last year. All 14 crew members on board were killed.

Both Nimrods were in the process of airborne refuelling, which involves fuel being pumped into the tanks at high pressure.

The crew's log from the incident this week, obtained by the BBC, states: "The bomb bay heating mixing chamber cladding was soaked with fuel. Fuel was also observed on the pipework on the roof of the bomb bay area."

An MoD spokeswoman stressed that the Nimrod fleet had not been grounded. "During air-to-air refuelling on an operational mission, the crew observed a quantity of fuel spraying into the aircraft's bomb bay," she said.

"The crew reacted promptly and professionally to the incident and landed the aircraft safely. Following initial investigation, and isolation of the air-to-air refuelling system, the aircraft was flown back to its original operating base for further engineering investigation."

The spokeswoman added: "The Nimrod fleet has not been grounded. As a precautionary measure, air-to-air refuelling has been suspended for all Nimrod aircraft, until the results of a full investigation have been considered. As always the safety of our crews remains paramount."