A BRITISH plane which crashed in Iraq killing a Burley-in-Wharfedale RAF pilot and nine of his comrades could have been shot down by insurgents.

But defence chiefs said the Hercules plane carrying Flight Lieutenant David Stead, 35, was not sabotaged.

Eight of Flt Lieut Stead's RAF colleagues and a soldier died in the crash 20 miles from the capital Baghdad on January 30.

There was speculation that the plane could have been tampered with or a bomb placed on board.

However, that has been ruled out by the RAF Board of Inquiry, it was announced by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon in a Ministerial Statement.

The C130 Hercules was said by officials to be on a routine flight from Baghdad to the massive US base at Balad when it came down.

The incident was the biggest single loss of British life in Iraq since military action began in 2003.

The RAF Board of Inquiry was not yet in a position to say what had caused the crash, the Ministry of Defence said.

However, on the current evidence, 'bird strike, lightning strike, mid-air collision, controlled flight into the ground, wire/obstacle strike, restriction in the aircraft's flying controls, cargo explosion, engine fire, sabotage (including the use of an improvised explosive device) and aircraft fatigue" could be ruled out.

The interim findings were backed by the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch, the statement said.

"There remain a number of other possible causes that require further investigation," it added.

Those killed included eight crew from RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, another RAF serviceman and one soldier.

Flt Lieut Stead, who had just transferred to RAF Lyneham, was a Cadet for five years at the 1224 Wharfedale squadron based in Ashlands Road, Ilkley. He then studied at university and joined the RAF.

Peter Felstead, editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, said the statement pointed to the Hercules being hit by insurgents from the ground.

"It seems quite interesting that it has ruled out very many things but not ground fire," he said.

"One of the most interesting questions to ask would be what altitude this aircraft was flying at when it came down.

"If it was on a routine flight, then normally it is at altitude to guard against ground fire that people are thinking now may have brought it down.

"If it was at a lower altitude ... it might have been engaged by anything as simple as a rocket-propelled grenade."

Defence chiefs have dismissed speculation that the Hercules was on a special forces mission.