The British inquiry will take three months and it means that the $3.1 billion bid for Plessey automatically lapses.

It attracted some controversy as Smith had been heavily criticised by the British inquiry into the disaster.

Its recommendations, along with those of the British inquiry that concluded a few months later, led to changes in safety practices following the disaster.

Its recommendations, along with those of the British inquiry that concluded on 3 July 1912, led to many changes in safety practices following the disaster.

Demands for a British inquiry were rejected yesterday by the Transport Department.

A British inquiry ruled the crash an accident, concluding that the plane's controls had jammed for an unknown reason.

Both the recommendation and the British inquiry have the same aim: prevention.

A British inquiry found that the airline had not followed international baggage-identification procedures that could have prevented the disaster.

An official British inquiry in 1971 found him unfit to be in charge of a public company.

Over the next few months, Olympic assisted with both the American and British inquiries into the disaster.