Red Arrows jets could be grounded for weeks

IT COULD be weeks before the Red Arrows resume flying after the air show crash that killed one of the aerobatics team’s elite pilots, according to sources.

Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, 33, from Rutland, died when his Hawk T1 aircraft plunged to the ground near Bournemouth Airport in Dorset on Saturday, after completing a formation display over the seafront.

The RAF has grounded all its Hawk T1 training jets while a service inquiry is carried out into what caused the tragedy.

Investigators will first assess whether the circumstances of the crash are unique, or whether other aircraft could be affected as well. Once air chiefs establish there are no wider safety concerns about the Hawk T1, the Red Arrows can begin flying again.

Defence sources say it is impossible to predict how long this will take, but it is likely to be days or weeks. The full inquiry is expected to last months.