Justice campaigner and former pilot Robbie the Pict, voted 4th most influential figure in Scots law, argues that as the Crown case against Abdelbaset Ali Mohmad al Megrahi continues to unravel, Scottish authorities are failing in their duty to investigate the true cause of the fall of Pan Am 103.

Dear Sir,

You were courageous enough last year to help ask the public question of whether the PanAm 103 crash might have been an accident. Your piece featured the theory of explosives engineer John H. Parkes of Edinburgh who had been at the crash site and subsequently submitted a report to the Crown Office as to what he believed had been a more likely cause of the crash, namely radio interference triggering an illegal load of munitions. (The report never saw the light of day.) I contributed supporting argument by pointing out the evidentially established presence of hundreds of thousands of 'needles' which I suggested may in fact have been 'flechettes', deadly anti-personnel darts sometimes contained in the warheads of such as Lockheed Hydra 70 rockets.

My essential point in law was that all the public focus is being directed to a deliberate explosion and suspiciously away from an accidental explosion, the other logical alternative.

For the sake of completeness in this endeavour, may I be allowed to draw your readers' attention to another credible alternative which stands scrutiny as an 'accident' explanation, namely the Aircraft Accident Report on Pan Am 103 (2002) by independent investigator John Barry Smith (www.corazon.com). In his report, Mr Smith argues that the cause of this crash, and indeed of several others of like aircraft, is the failure of the electrical wiring related to the forward cargo door. He suggests that the 'Poly X' wiring cracks and thus loses insulation properties, and the resultant short may allow the securing bolts on the plug-style door to release. The door opening at altitude causes an enormous 'explosive decompression' which will, amongst other things, whip contents of the cargo hold into the nearest engine with deadly consequences. Mr Smith's report is thorough and well argued and I commend it to interested parties.

Returning to principles of law, I believe that there are now at least two very credible alternatives which suggest that the 'accident' avenue should be opened to investigation. It is hard to believe that the 'authorities' in Scotland are not interested in what really caused the downing of this aircraft.

Incidentally and for those who cannot resist hearsay, whilst investigating this matter I was made aware of an eye-witness who reports Pan Am 103 as passing overhead at a gradual angle of approach, wholly intact and with its cabin lights on, but with its engines on full throttle as if trying to climb, less than two miles from crashing onto Lockerbie. This same eye-witness claims that only then did the plane break into pieces. He was not called to testify.

The Crown's conspiracy theory thus continues to come apart at the seams and certainly fails to provide justification for the utterly disgraceful ploy of using an appellant's own impending death as blackmail to persuade him to drop his appeal, thereby delaying disclosure of God knows what.

Yours etc.

Robbie the Pict
Ex-pilot, ex-RAF Police.