Red Arrow crashes in Bournemouth

[KK Lee 5]

Red Arrows pilot dies in Bournemouth Air Festival crash

 

 

An RAF Red Arrows pilot died when his plane crashed following a display at the Bournemouth Air Festival in Dorset.

 

Flt Lt Jon Egging, 33, from Rutland, was killed when his Hawk T1 aircraft - Red 4 - crashed about 1km south east of Bournemouth Airport at 13:50 BST.

 

Eyewitnesses described seeing the plane plunge to the ground in a field near the River Stour at Throop village.

 

It was one of nine Red Arrows aircraft that had earlier taken part in a display over the seafront.

 

Group Capt Simon Blake, the Commandant of the RAF's Central Flying School, said Flt Lt Egging, known as 'Eggman', had joined the Team as Red 4 in the Autumn of 2010 and flew on the right hand outside of the famous Diamond Nine formation.

 

He said this was "An accolade in itself - being the most demanding position allocated to a first year pilot".

 

"Throughout his winter training and the display season to date, his professionalism, skill and humility have shone through.

 

"A true team player, his good nature and constant smile will be sorely missed by all," he added.

 

Air Vice Marshal Mark Green, Air Officer Commanding 22 (Training) Group, also paid tribute to the pilot saying: "Jon's professionalism, competence and ever present smile made him stand out from the crowd."

 

Shaun Spencer-Perkins, who witnessed the crash from Throop Mill, said: "I heard a rushing sound and I saw a plane about 15m above the ground racing across the fields.

 

 

"It impacted and bounced across the field - made it across the river.

 

"Members of the public jumped into the water to search for the cockpit.

 

"We waved down the helicopter; I took off my son's orange jacket and my wife's red jumper to get the attention of the helicopter."

 

He said the plane had crashed about 100m from where he and his family were walking near the River Stour and debris was spread across a large area.

'Cracking sound'

 

Another eyewitness, Nicholas Gore, 22, from Throop, was walking with a friend near the river when saw all nine Red Arrows go over.

 

"There were quite a few people watching and we saw them go over but one seemed quite low," he said.

 

"They then disappeared behind trees and I heard a crack - not an explosion - just a crack and we got further down and I saw the plane with its red tail in the air and its nose in the river.

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Red Arrows Hawk T1 Aircraft

Two-seater, single-engined advanced training aircraft

Length: 38ft 11in (11.8m)

Wingspan: 30ft 10in (9.5m)

Thrust: 5,200lbs

Max altitude: 48,000 ft (14,630 m)

Max speed: 638 mph (1,025 km/h) in level flight and 915 mph (1,472 km/h) in a dive

The Red Arrows are based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire

Manufacturer: Hawker Siddeley/B A E Systems (United Kingdom)

Used by the Red Arrows since 1979.

 

"Shortly afterwards there were emergency services everywhere."

 

Mark Grogan was playing a round of golf at the nearby Parley Golf Centre, where he works, at the time of the crash.

 

He said: "I heard a sound like a car backfiring. Within five minutes the helicopters arrived, there were at least five helicopters including the police and two from the coastguard.

 

"One of the local farmers said they'd seen rescue teams pulling the pilot out of the river."

 

Darren Blakeman, who was watching the display, described what he saw: "We watched nine Red Arrows take off, then they did an approach from the south of the runway, they did a little display.

 

"After that display only eight of the airplanes landed and then there was a big siren went off at the airport, like an emergency sound, and there was a big yellow fire truck parked in the viewing area and then that rushed off with its blue lights going."

RAF pilots

 

Bournemouth Airport said flights were operating as normal.

 

A statement on its website confirmed that the airport was closed "for a short time but is now back to normal operations".

 

The plane plunged into a field near the River Stour

 

"Passengers due to fly out of the airport this... evening are asked to check in as normal."

 

Organisers of the Bournemouth Air Festival said events were continuing as scheduled.

 

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said they were investigating the incident.

 

The crash site remains cordoned off by police and only people living inside the zone are being allowed access.

 

The Military Air Accident Investigation Branch were also admitted through the cordon to start work on identifying the cause of the crash.

 

All nine Red Arrows display pilots are fast jet pilots from frontline Royal Air Force squadrons.

 

Each aircraft can carry enough diesel and dye to create five minutes of white smoke, one minute of red and one minute of blue.

 

Both cockpit seats are fitted with Martin-Baker Mark 10B rocket boosted ejection seats.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14602900

[Cire 0]

OH...that's sad to know.

 

The Red Arrows are well known air acrobatic team internationally. Folks around the world that know or have seen the team's display will be shocked to learn of this tragedy.

Personally have seen them performed in Malaysia a couple of times.

 

 

Streaking across the field in an apparent flying condition...perhaps a g-induced black-out?

 

Anyway, RIP Flt Lt Egging, call-sign 'Eggman'.

[Edwin Yii 0]

Video Of The Crash - RIP

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RuoZ0WVvVw

[Victor A. 2]

Condolence to the family of Flt Lt Jon Egging and may his soul rest in peace..

[Teoh Z Yao 0]

Gosh... RIP to the pilot...

 

Does anyone know if he was here in KL/LIMA in 2007?

 

Still remember hearing Red Arrows was performing at Salford Quay while in Manchester in 2009... Seems like they like to perform around waterfront...

[flee 5]

The dead pilot is in his first season with the Red Arrows. Pilots serve a two year stint before moving on to other duties.