Red Arrows Accident: Active Catapult Seats in the Earth, the Red Arrows Pilot Killed

Flt Lt Cunningham-Red Arrows Pilot Accident

A pilot member of the Red Arrows aerobatics team of the British Royal Air Force, Royal Air Force (RAF), was killed after the chair thrower in the aircraft to be active when the plane he was flying was still in the ground. Parties RAF said it was continuing to investigate the causes of these tragic incidents.

The incident occurred at the air base at RAF Scampton near Lincoln, eastern England, on Tuesday (8/11/2011) afternoon local time. The paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance and the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance were sent to the crash site at 11:09 GMT or 18:09 pm yesterday.

The BBC reported, some T1 Hawk trainer aircraft used during this Red Arrows team was parked in one corner of the RAF Scampton base. Part one of the aircraft canopy looked shattered. The plane was later seen covered with tarpaulins.

Chris Boatman, a local resident who lives near the air base, said loud explosions heard from inside the base.

The RAF did not give details of the incident in more detail, including the identity of the pilot were killed. "It's not worth speculating about the cause of the incident until the investigation is completed," said Group Captain (Colonel equivalent) Simon Blake from RAF Scampton.

This is the second Red Arrows pilot who was killed in the last three months. A pilot again, Pilot Lt. John Egging, was killed after his plane crashed while performing in an airshow attraction in southern England.

Problems in the chair thrower Hawk T1 aircraft never found last year, prompting the British Ministry of Defense banned all aircraft types that flew in the UK for nearly a week for a checkup.