As the US pilot who attacked the convoy shortly after the invasion of Iraq nearly four years ago was named for the first time, it became clear that the conclusions of the British board of inquiry were very different from the official investigation carried out by the US military authorities.

The pilot of the A10 aircraft who twice attacked the British patrol was named by the Sun as Colonel Gus "Skeeter" Kohntopp. He was a lieutenant colonel reservist in the Idaho Air National Guard when he attacked the convoy in his first combat mission. He is also a commercial pilot.

The British board of inquiry criticised the pilots of the two A10 aircraft for ignoring basic procedures. "Without having been authorised by Manila Hotel, [their US forward ground controller]," the pilots "engaged the UK recce patrol believing it to be hostile", the report said.

Col Kohntopp's call sign was Popov 36, and his wingman's was Popov 35. Manila Hotel twice told the pilots they were "well clear" of friendly forces. The board says that "the ground situation information given by Manila Hotel to Popov section [the two pilots] was scant [and] insufficient friendly positional information and control measures were passed or requested".

It adds that "neither target description nor location of the final target was passed by Popov 35 to Manila Hotel".

It continues: "The aircrew did not receive clear authority from the GFAC [ground forward air controller] for Popov 36 to engage."

The board's report goes on: "At no stage was Manila Hotel advised of the new target ... Popov was not clear to engage."

It said that British psychologists noted that Popov 36 showed a "single-minded pursuit of the UK vehicles". He was "not sensitive" to the workload of his wingman, a major. The problem was compounded, it suggests, by the wingman's exaggerated respect for his senior colleague, Lt Col Kohntopp.

The inquiry also points to some British failings. It says that luminous orange panels attached to the armoured vehicles may have contributed to the confusion - the US pilots mistook them for "orange rockets". It says that some UK liaison personnel, as well as American, suffered from lack of training.

Its report contrasts markedly with the US inquiry into the disaster. America's own investigation concluded the pilots "followed the procedures and processes for engaging targets", a Pentagon spokesman, Bryan Whitman, said this week. Neither was disciplined.

The inquest into Lance Corporal Hull's death is due to resume on March 12.