Red Arrow Crash

The widow of Red Arrows pilot Jon Egging has completed a 400-mile coast-to-coast charity bike ride after taking her husband's place.
Flt Lt Jon Egging, from Rutland, had been planning to take part in the four-day ride to raise money for charity.
His widow Dr Emma Egging rode with 19 other cyclists from Pembrokeshire to Suffolk in his memory.


BBC News - Red Arrows widow completes 400-mile charity ride

 

What a WOMAN!

 

A memorial service has been held at Lincoln Cathedral for Red Arrows pilot Jon Egging.
Flt Lt Egging, 33, died when his Hawk T1 aircraft crashed into a field at the village of Throop, near Bournemouth Airport, on 20 August.
Almost 1,000 people gathered for the service, which his family said was a celebration of his life.


BBC News - Memorial held for Red Arrows pilot Jon Egging

 

More here:

Red Arrows crash 2011: Memorial for pilot Jon Egging who died at Bournemouth air festival | Mail Online

 

Wifes aunt was there. She's a friend of the widow. John and her apparantly holidayed and rode at their Bute stables when on leave.

 

A Red Arrows pilot has died after an incident at the aerobatic team's base at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire.
The RAF has confirmed that the pilot was ejected while the aircraft was on the ground.
The Military Aviation Authority is intiating a full and independent inquiry to determine the cause of the incident.


BBC News - Red Arrows pilot dies after incident at RAF Scampton

 

Seems like another tragedy has hit the Arrows, thoughts go to the family/relatives of all involved

 

I was listening to that unfold detail bby detail on the news this afternoon The "bang seat" has indeed saved many lives over the years since it was invented - but it has also been responsible for many acidental deaths, and has suffered from a whole history of accidental discharges, and deaths due to it being used at too low or too high an altitude.

 

Another terrible incident for the Red Arrows.

My thoughts are with the family .


If I remember correctly the ejection seats that fire through the canopy usually activate by the pilot pulling the strap from behind the head that pulls out the head protection.

If there was malfunction and the seat fired, then there would be no addditional protection, just the pilots helmet.

R.I.P.

Tom

 

Phylo, whilst I cannot quote the statistics accurately, I am of the belief that very few - if any - ejections using the Martin-Baker seat (the standard used by the RAF) when within the seat parameters (within height/speed envelop) have resulted in the death of the aircrew. There have been instances when aircrew have drowned following successful ejections or died when they have been outside the seat limits. There have been some, but not many (although one could argue that one was too many) cases of accidental discharge.

Can you elaborate?

Roxy

PS RIP to the latest RAFAT casualty.

 

Smudger,

The Hawk ejection seat is activated by pulling a handle between the pilot's legs.

Roxy

 

when within the seat parameters (within height/speed envelop)


Roxy, those are the important words right there I'm in the middle of reading James Hamilton-Paterson's The Empire of the Clouds and he mentions a couple of accidental discharges, I'll have to have a look back for details....but of the top of my head it was an occasional problem with Meteors once they were fitted with them, because of all the many problems the Meatbox (and that nickname was NOT a joke one...) had with its canopy :mellow:

(I was quite suprised at the toll of damaged and destroyed Meteors this book revealed in RAF service, both operational and in training...)

 

Without speculating,didn't the Hawk ejection seat mechanism have a safety review conducted last year?

I remember a simliar incident at Scampton in the early days of the Canberra in squadron service.One of the groundcrew was killed when the ejection seat fired off in a hanger while he was involved in servicing from the cockpit.

Transpired that the ejection seat mechanism was still active and had not made u/s for cockpit servicing.

 

Phylo,

You are spot on. However, there have been a couple of instances (not many) where individuals have survived when outside the seat limits. I've got Empire of the Clouds, but not yet read it - I've heard that it is a great read.

von Poop,

I agree. I shit year for, arguably, the best formation aerobatic display team in the world. Eclat!

Roxy

 

Smudger,

The Hawk ejection seat is activated by pulling a handle between the pilot's legs.

Roxy

Roxy,

Thank you for the clarification.

I am perhaps too long away from the aircraft industry.

Being aware of the current systems, what extra protection does the pilot have when propelled through the actual perspex/Plastiglass canopy?

I also agree that the red Arrows are Par Excellence and very unfortunate to suffer two losses in rapid succession.

Regards
Tom

 

Sory to learn of this terrible accident.

 

Being aware of the current systems, what extra protection does the pilot have when propelled through the actual perspex/Plastiglass canopy?

Tom, here's the nasty bit - the Hawks' M-B Mk10B ejector seat doesn't automatically jettison the canopy

We probably won't know specific details now until the Air Accidents Investigation Branch report is published...but if the pilot went through he canopy he at least got a major jolt/neck injury - and at this point we don't know if he was actually wearing his flight helmet...

 

I hope it is not the same fault as the earlier accident the first thing you think is the age of the Hawks. If the personnel have not rolled round at the end of the summer It must be very bad for aircrew and the support staff. Went to Scampton as a member of the ATC an was treated royally by the Red Arrows Great guys and I guess now girls.

 

Wowtank - we're still making the Hawk! BAE Systems MIA is still building them at Warton.