Red Arrow crashes during Bournemouth Air Festival

[joost]

Here is a more complete story about Red Arrows crash:
http://aerobaticteams.net/news/red-arro ... -2011.html

As stated there:

This is just our point of view and is just speculation about the incident, until the investigation goes.

That story is containing a few statements that are easily to be qualified as completely wrong: First fatal incident since flying Hawks: See the incident during training last year (and I saw a longer list of Reds fatalities from about 7 at one of the UK newspaper sites yesterday). Second: Plane out of fuel-> Rescue workers have told in the British press that the engine was still running when they got to the scene. Then a no fire more points into the tanks having holded upon impact then no fuel.

Think they ment to say, first fatality with Hawk during a Show. Believe other fatalities were during practice.

[frank kramer]

Furthermore, to contradict Aviodromefriend, when an accident is deemed to be 'fatal', this is to the pilot and not to the aircraft. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first Red Arrows Hawk accident in which a pilot actually lost his life. Although two Hawks collided over Kastelli during training (and as indeed there were other incidents in the past), these were not 'fatal' accidents as all pilots survived... up to now

In this sense, this IS a 'first' for the Reds, but not one you can be happy about

[pjotrtje]

Furthermore, to contradict Aviodromefriend, when an accident is deemed to be 'fatal', this is to the pilot and not to the aircraft. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first Red Arrows Hawk accident in which a pilot actually lost his life. Although two Hawks collided over Kastelli during training (and as indeed there were other incidents in the past), these were not 'fatal' accidents as all pilots survived... up to now

In this sense, this IS a 'first' for the Reds, but not one you can be happy about

No, it isn't a first, although the previous fatal accident was quite some time ago: in 1971 four crew were killed when two aircraft (Gnats) collided.

[joost]

No, it isn't a first, although the previous fatal accident was quite some time ago: in 1973 four crew were killed when two aircraft collide

Which was believe while flying Gnats, they stated this was their first fatality with Hawk

[Aviatiek]

Deaths in training.
Info from,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... rrows.html
A brief history of the Red Arrows,
By Patrick Sawer
7:26PM BST 20 Aug 2011

For almost 50 years the Red Arrows, regarded as one of the best aerobatics teams in the world, have given thousands of displays without a death in public.

At speeds of 300 knots, their aircraft fly within inches of each other and often daringly close to the ground.

But pilots from the unit have paid the ultimate price with a series of deaths in training.

The most recent was in 1988 when Flt Lt Neil MacLachlan died during a crash at RAF Scampton, while practising a manoeuvre known as a roll back.

The worst loss of life suffered by the team was during practice at their base in January 1971, when two of their planes clipped each other during a crossover manoeuvre and crashed, killing Flight Lieutenants Euan Perreaux, John Lewis, John Haddock and Colin Armstrong.

....
Rest in peace Red 4 Eggman.
Our thoughts go to your wife Emma, family, friends and the Red Arrows Team

Ruud

[gold]

very sad and tragic news.

According the official RAF-Red Arrows site, Red 4 is Hawk T1 XX308, and should be ´Eggmans´- aircraft.



Serial not confirmed yet.


Regards,

Maurits

Well, indeed it have to be confirmed. During RIAT Fairford 2011, XX308 was not present but XX306 was.


Best Regards,

Hermen

[maurits]

according ukar-website,
http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic. ... &start=250
XX179 should be the crashed Red4...

from msf
H.J., Curtis logged the following on 24 Aug.at Bournemouth/Hurn

Lined up this morning on taxiway R (the old runway 35/17) are: XX177 Hawk T1, Red Arrows XX220/220 Hawk T1A, 4 FTS/208(R) Sqn XX227 Hawk T1A, Red Arrows XX237 Hawk T1, Red Arrows XX242 Hawk T1, Red Arrows XX244 Hawk T1, 4 FTS (special marks) XX264 Hawk T1A, Red Arrows XX266 Hawk T1A, Red Arrows XX284/CA Hawk T1A, Red Arrows (black scheme) XX306 Hawk T1A, Red Arrows XX308 Hawk T1, Red Arrows XX322 Hawk T1A, Red Arrows
The order is [S-N]:
227 - 177 - 266 - 242 - 237 - 322 - 306 - 308 - 284 - 264 - 244 - 220

Howard J. Curtis


Here XX179 in better times, flightline RAF Fairford, July 2006...


Regards,

Maurits

[Rockville]

Sky News has published an interesting article and picture.
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16056204

[maurits]

Unfortunate pilot John Egging did have earlier a bird strike with Hawk XX260 during the Southport airshow/Blackpool.....
http://fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 16&t=39930

regards,

Maurits

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/dec/1 ... ce-inquest

Red Arrows crash: pilot impaired by G-force, inquest hears

Jon Egging, who died at Bournemouth air show, may have suffered near loss of consciousness, say investigators

The Guardian, Thursday 13 December 2012 17.39 GMT

A Red Arrows pilot may have been incapacitated by the effects of g-force shortly before crashing into a field following an air show, his inquest has heard.

Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, 33, is thought to have started to regain his faculties three seconds before the impact but it was too late to prevent his Hawk T1 crashing or for him to eject.

The inquest in Bournemouth was told that an inquiry carried out by military investigators had ruled out a mechanical fault causing the crash.

Egging – flying as Red 4 – crashed in August last year after the RAF's aerobatic team took part in the Bournemouth Air Festival. He had broken formation and was coming into land.

Flight Lieutenant Chris Lyndon-Smith – Red 2 – was flying just behind Egging and it became apparent that his colleague was "going down pretty quickly".

He told the inquest: "I shouted on the radio: 'Four, check height'. I think I shouted it out to try to get Jon to react and get his aircraft away from the ground.

"I was looking down at his jet.
At the time I didn't think I saw any change or reaction.

That was the frustrating thing, at the time I was trying to tell Jon to check his height and I wasn't seeing a response from his aircraft.

Being so low, I would have expected to see him pitch the nose up and apply some power …

Jon was not reacting … he was not controlling the aircraft at that time. Whether right at the end he was, I don't know."

Egging's wife, Emma, told the inquest that before the display there had been a "buzz" among the pilots and their families and that Bournemouth was a highlight of their season.

An eyewitness described the red-and-white Hawk T1 coming down into the field in a straight line before it "belly flopped, wobbled and skidded".
Egging died instantly from multiple injuries so serious they would have been impossible to survive, the inquest heard.

The inquest heard he had suffered a syndrome called "almost loss of consciousness" (A-Loc) due to the effects of G-force.
The syndrome results in temporary incapacitation without full loss of consciousness, a hazard for fighter pilots.

Wing Commander Mark Rodden, president of the military aviation authority inquiry, said Egging had experienced the G-force for a long period of time at high speed creating the "worst combination".

He said Egging had succumbed to G-force impairment and inadequate awareness of G-force was also a possible contributory factor to the accident.

Two zips on Egging's G-suit – which help reduce the effects of the force – were slightly undone, although he could not say if this happened before or after the crash. The military inquiry ruled out mechanical fault as a factor in the crash.

The coroner, Sheriff Payne, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Egging's family have set up the Jon Egging Trust, which develops opportunities for young people who are under-achieving at school.