An investigation has been launched after a Red Arrows jet crashed yesterday afternoon, killing an RAF engineer and injuring the pilot.
The Hawk jet, used by the aerobatic display team, crashed at RAF Valley on the island of Anglesey, in North Wales. The 35-year-old pilot, David Stark, managed to eject from the aircraft “just seconds before it plunged into the ground in a ‘big fireball’”, says the London Evening Standard.
Experts are carrying out a joint investigation, led by the Air Accident Investigation Branch, to discover the cause of the crash, the BBC reports.
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The jet was on a routine flight from RAF Valley to the Red Arrows’ base at RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, when it crashed.
Group Captain Nick Tucker-Lowe last night released a statement saying the pilot was receiving medical care. Tucker-Lowe did not disclose the pilot’s condition or the name of the Red Arrows engineer killed in the “tragic accident”, but said their families had been informed.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, head of the RAF, said the crash was a “reminder that we must never take for granted the risks our people take in the service of our country”.
“My deepest thoughts are with the friends and family of those involved at this terrible time,” he added.
Theresa May also sent her condolences to the family of the RAF engineer. “My thoughts are also with the pilot and with the Red Arrows following this tragic incident,” the Prime Minister said.
