Title: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: mgmark on August 21, 2011, 11:12:52 am
As you may have seen from the news, sadly we lost one of the Red Arrows yesterday.
The amateur footage taken at Bournemouth airport, as they returned in formation to break into singletons for landing, shows Red 4 gradually lose height in the turn and then drop below the tree line. The aircraft crashed near the river to the SW of the airport.
No idea of the cause yet or exactly what happened (media reporting and speculation is rife and variable in accuracy to say the least). Hawk T1s are grounded as a precautionary measure.
RIP to Jon Egging, one of our finest, and condolences to his family and friends.
MG Mark
The amateur footage taken at Bournemouth airport, as they returned in formation to break into singletons for landing, shows Red 4 gradually lose height in the turn and then drop below the tree line. The aircraft crashed near the river to the SW of the airport.
No idea of the cause yet or exactly what happened (media reporting and speculation is rife and variable in accuracy to say the least). Hawk T1s are grounded as a precautionary measure.
RIP to Jon Egging, one of our finest, and condolences to his family and friends.
MG Mark
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: jpchenet on August 21, 2011, 08:27:20 pm
A great loss to a Great British Institution, let alone the Pilot's family and friends.
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: Snoring Rhino on August 21, 2011, 08:41:09 pm
Watched in usual awe for our office in Poole, had no idea what was happening on the final approach, very unfair given the skill and risks taken for our entertainment.
RIP.
RIP.
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: Lord Steve on August 21, 2011, 09:28:00 pm
Ironically I watched them practise over my office in north Lincolnshire on Friday.
All very sad.
All very sad.
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: Snoring Rhino on August 22, 2011, 07:21:00 pm
Watched in usual awe for our office in Poole, had no idea what was happening on the final approach, very unfair given the skill and risks taken for our entertainment.
RIP.
When I wrote this I had not looked on Google Earth, Put in "Throop" and it's clear how little room he had to avoid the houses given that he actually crashed into the river Stour. A true Hero.RIP.
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: landman on August 26, 2011, 02:38:01 pm
Strong rumour that it was as a result of a bird strike :'(
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: mgmark on August 29, 2011, 11:44:36 pm
Been in France for the last week, will post more when/if I find out something definitive :(.
Mark
Mark
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: nickliv on August 30, 2011, 10:34:55 pm
According to a mole of mine in the officers mess at RAF valley, hawk pilots have all been reminded to ensure their G pants are correctly donned and plugged in....
Stood at the end of Scamptons runway today, watching them practicing the display with the 8 aircraft. Very poignant.
Stood at the end of Scamptons runway today, watching them practicing the display with the 8 aircraft. Very poignant.
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: Snoring Rhino on August 31, 2011, 08:53:01 pm
According to a mole of mine in the officers mess at RAF valley, hawk pilots have all been reminded to ensure their G pants are correctly donned and plugged in....
Stood at the end of Scamptons runway today, watching them practicing the display with the 8 aircraft. Very poignant.
Interesting, there was a blog response from a Danish(I think) pilot saying that at his position in the formation he would be turning in sharper and generating more G than the rest and that it was probable that he blacked out.Stood at the end of Scamptons runway today, watching them practicing the display with the 8 aircraft. Very poignant.
Title: Re: Red Arrows Accident
Post by: mgmark on September 01, 2011, 02:47:16 am
Chaps,
My original post, knowing how many of us delight in what the Reds do, was just to highlight the fact that we had, for whatever reason, tragically lost one of our finest. There are lots of possible reasons why what happened did happen and other reasons why other events or opinions mentioned above may, or may not be relevant.
The Valley mention might just be because a student there had flown a sortie without his g-suit plugged in, leading to a general reminder to all.... The Danish pilot may or may not be a display pilot and may or may not be familiar with how the Reds operate and within what boundaries. A bird strike, system or human failure (natural or not) may also be the culprit. Or, indeed, a combination of those things.
Quite aside from the magnificent social CA element of Le Mans, we all (mostly) like motor racing and technical stuff too, so curiosity and speculation is, perhaps, somewhat inevitable. But there is a coroner's inquest and an MOD Inquiry in progress to establish the cause or causes (which takes time) and, in the meantime, a family is suffering the loss of a loved one, and friends and colleagues are coming to terms with Jon's death.
Thank you for the sentiments expressed. As I said earlier, I won't express any opinion I might hold on the accident, but I will post something about what happened when there is a definitive anwer.
In the meantime, if people feel that they wish to support, this link shows what Jon Egging was going to do in October this year....
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=RAFATrider4 (http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=RAFATrider4)
And this one, not only that it is still going ahead, but that his wife will be riding in his place.....
http://www.400in4.co.uk/content/ (http://www.400in4.co.uk/content/)
MG Mark
My original post, knowing how many of us delight in what the Reds do, was just to highlight the fact that we had, for whatever reason, tragically lost one of our finest. There are lots of possible reasons why what happened did happen and other reasons why other events or opinions mentioned above may, or may not be relevant.
The Valley mention might just be because a student there had flown a sortie without his g-suit plugged in, leading to a general reminder to all.... The Danish pilot may or may not be a display pilot and may or may not be familiar with how the Reds operate and within what boundaries. A bird strike, system or human failure (natural or not) may also be the culprit. Or, indeed, a combination of those things.
Quite aside from the magnificent social CA element of Le Mans, we all (mostly) like motor racing and technical stuff too, so curiosity and speculation is, perhaps, somewhat inevitable. But there is a coroner's inquest and an MOD Inquiry in progress to establish the cause or causes (which takes time) and, in the meantime, a family is suffering the loss of a loved one, and friends and colleagues are coming to terms with Jon's death.
Thank you for the sentiments expressed. As I said earlier, I won't express any opinion I might hold on the accident, but I will post something about what happened when there is a definitive anwer.
In the meantime, if people feel that they wish to support, this link shows what Jon Egging was going to do in October this year....
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=RAFATrider4 (http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=RAFATrider4)
And this one, not only that it is still going ahead, but that his wife will be riding in his place.....
http://www.400in4.co.uk/content/ (http://www.400in4.co.uk/content/)
MG Mark
