Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging 33 Red Arrows Pilot
MWB
A Red Arrows pilot died on Saturday afternoon when his plane crashed after a
display at an air show.
Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging was killed when his Hawk T1 aircraft plunged to
the ground near Bournemouth Airport in Dorset.
Onlookers reported seeing the plane flying low before smashing into a field
and coming to a standstill with its nose in the River Stour near the village
of Throop.
The aircraft was one of nine members of the famous RAF display team that had
taken part in a display over the seafront in Bournemouth for the town's
fourth air festival, which was watched by tens of thousands of people. This
evening
a Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We can confirm that we are aware of
an incident involving one of the Red Arrows and we are investigating." The
fire service confirmed it had been called to an air crash which happened
near Bournemouth International Airport shortly before 2pm.
One man told the BBC: "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." Members of the public reportedly jumped into the water to search
for the pilot.
Wayne Kent, 30, the assistant manager of the nearby Broadway Pub, said some
of his customers had seen the incident and that they believed the pilot had
guided the plane away from houses in the village and from people walking
near the riverbank. "I heard that the plane went down in the fields near
Throop and it bounced three or four times," he said. "The pilot then steered
it towards the river."
Radio enthusiast Malcolm MacIntyre told the Bournemouth Echo that he had
listened in on radio communications between the team and the control tower,
just before the crash.
He said that just after the Red Arrows were called to land by the tower, one
of the pilots said: "Are you aware of the mayday?"
The tower replied: "Yes, we are, somebody is dealing with that."
It was reported that the Red Arrows had been performing a final low-level
manoeuvre as a "thank-you" to the local air traffic control when the
accident happened. Witnesses said one of the aircraft performed a turn and
then failed to recover.
Amateur footage shows one of the Red Arrows display team planes flying at a
lower height.
"Whatever has happened it is a tragic incident and very devastating for
local people especially, and for the team and the family of whichever pilot
is involved," said Terry Trevett, chairman of the Bournemouth Red Arrows
Association.
A police helicopter and a coastguard helicopter were dispatched to the
scene, while emergency services established a wide exclusion zone around the
crash site. TV crews were asked to stop filming while emergency services
combed the wreckage.
The display team is intended to be the public face of the RAF, both at home
and abroad. Since 1965, the Red Arrows have flown more than 4,000 displays
in 52 countries.
Two Red Arrows planes collided over Crete last year, forcing one pilot to
eject before his aircraft crashed on to the Greek island.
The Red Arrows website says: "Today the Red Arrows are renowned throughout
the world, acting as ambassadors for Great Britain when displaying overseas.
They also support UK industry by demonstrating the capabilities of British
equipment and expertise."
Since 1979, the Red Arrows have used the dual-control BAE Systems Hawk T1
aircraft. The planes' Rolls Royce engines produce 5,200lbs of thrust and
give a top speed of mach 1.2. The cockpit seats are fitted with Martin-Baker
Mark 10B rocket boosted ejection seats.
A spokesman for Dorset police said: "The incident will be investigated by
the military air accident investigation team."
David Uri
>A Red Arrows pilot died on Saturday afternoon when his plane crashed after a
>display at an air show.
From the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14602900
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.
In a statement Flt Lt Egging's wife, Dr Emma Egging, described her
husband as "an exemplary pilot" and said watching him during the
display was the "proudest" she had ever been.
"Jon was everything to those that knew him, and he was the best friend
and husband I could ever have wished for," she said.
"I know that he would have wanted me to say something from the heart
at this time. There was nothing bad about Jon.
"He loved his job and was an exemplary pilot.
"I loved everything about him, and he will be missed."
Flt Lt Egging was inspired by his airline pilot father who used to
take him 'down route', allowing him into the cockpit for take off and
landing.
Speaking to his local newspaper, The Leamington Observer, in May, the
33-year-old said being part of the world-famous team was "an absolute
privilege".
"You are so focussed and working so hard to concentrate you just don't
get a chance to feel scared," he added.
Gp 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," he said.
"A true team player, his good nature and constant smile will be sorely
missed by all."
'Cracking sound'
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."
Another eyewitness, Nicholas Gore, 22, from Throop, was walking with a
friend near the river when he 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."
The mayor of Bournemouth, councillor Chris Rochester, said: "I cannot
express strongly enough the immense sympathy I have, both personally
and on behalf of the people of Bournemouth, for the family of Flight
Lieutenant Jon Egging.
"The RAF has clearly lost an exceptional pilot and his family a man
who was loved and cherished."
Bournemouth Borough Council leader Peter Charon said he had arranged
for the authority to open two books of condolence on Sunday for people
to express their sympathy after the crash.
In a statement, the borough council asked anyone wishing to leave
floral tributes to place them on the grass banks around the Town Hall.
A statement on the Bournemouth Airport website said the airport was
closed "for a short time but is now back to normal operations".
'Truly magnificent'
Organisers of the Bournemouth Air Festival said events were continuing
as scheduled.
Mark Smith, head of Bournemouth Tourism, said: "It is the wishes of
the RAF to continue with their other flying displays at the Air
Festival tomorrow, and the pilots have expressed their wishes to
continue. The Red Arrows will not be performing."
He said the Red Arrows display prior to the crash had been "truly
magnificent and magical".
A Ministry of Defence spokesman it was 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.
--
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