Searching near the has begun for the aircrew of an RAF Tornado jet after it was shot down by a US 'Patriot' missile Air Marshal Brian Burridge, commander of British troops in the Gulf, said the Tornado had been hit "obviously by mistake" as it returned from a mission over Iraq. In the past three days there have been 3 helicopter crashes, with USAF CH-46 Sea Knight crashing due to "unknown circumstances", and two Royal Navy Sea King helicopters collided resulting in the loss of 7 crew members, 6 British 1 American. Although many sources have suggested that these accidents were due to mechanical faliure of pilot error, rather than Iraqi fire, these crashes have resulted in 19 Coalition deaths, which is simply unacceptable. Along with the Tornado being shot down by US forces, 3 members of an ITN News crew are currently missing, after coming under what was described by an injured colleage as "friendly fire" In an attempt to prevent more 'friendly' fire accidents, US Marines air controllers have been attatched to UK forces to help plan attacks against Iraqi forces. It is hoped that this will prevent incidents such as the deaths of nine British soldiers, when their Armoured Personnel Carrier was hit by weapons fired by a US aircraft during the 1991 Gulf War.