Red Arrow Jet Down In Wales

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RyanS
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Red Arrow Jet Down In Wales

Post by RyanS » Tue Mar 20, 2018 2:38 pm

One of the RAF Red Arrows has gone down in Wales. The pilot ejected but details are scarce.
A RED Arrows plane has crashed at an RAF base with the pilot reportedly ejected from the aircraft.

The air ambulance has been scrambled to RAF Valley on Anglesey, North Wales.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun ... eject/amp/
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Post by RyanS » Tue Mar 20, 2018 2:44 pm

Sounds like it was probably Red 3 and there are reports of a possible bird strike.
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Post by Adam » Tue Mar 20, 2018 2:55 pm

I'm attempting to keep track of the latest developments live: https://www.facebook.com/thisisflight.n ... 875527002/
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Post by Airshow4444 » Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:22 pm

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Post by Airshow4444 » Tue Mar 20, 2018 3:24 pm

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Post by Adam » Tue Mar 20, 2018 4:03 pm

I'm doing my best to keep on top of things AND run the stream on my own. Here's what we know so far:

An RAF Hawk rumoured to be Red 3 has crashed at RAF Valley with two people on board. The plane crashed into the runway and burst into flames. Unconfirmed eyewitness reports suggest there was at least one ejection. There has been no official comment as to the name or status of those involved. The RAF have asked that images/video of the crash are not posted or shared online and called on people to be "sensitive" - which doesn't bode well. The Red Arrows are currently training for the display season and have just begun flying as a 9-ship earlier this month. More to follow.
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Post by Adam » Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:17 pm

Trustworthy eyewitness accounts seem to agree only one ejection. It's been five hours since the crash with no comment on the state of the crew. I have a terrible feeling that no news is probably bad news at this stage.
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Post by RyanS » Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:39 pm

Adam wrote: Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:17 pm Trustworthy eyewitness accounts seem to agree only one ejection. It's been five hours since the crash with no comment on the state of the crew. I have a terrible feeling that no news is probably bad news at this stage.
I saw a photo of a tarp over top of the wreckage. Generally that means there's a body there.

I've also heard reports that only one chute popped and also now that the passenger (a mechanic) was killed.

Very sad, this is the kind of thing where it seems like an ejection seat should save the day, but it apparently didn't.
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Post by Adam » Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:47 pm

The aircraft was returning from a training exercise to RAF Scampton with an engineer on board, as per usual - it would have been the pilot's assigned Circus engineer. It has been confirmed that engineer was killed. His name is being withheld while next of kin are informed. The pilot did indeed survive.

After doing that live feed all afternoon, being kept too busy to think, hoping that everything would be okay, this is absolutely gutting and genuinely upsetting. I'm struggling for anything to say, really...
Last edited by Adam on Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by RyanS » Tue Mar 20, 2018 11:05 pm

Indeed, a sad confirmation of a fatality. I can't imagine how the pilot feels - I'm sure they're extremely close. Lots of survivor's guilt on this one I fear.

https://airshowstuff.com/v4/2018/red-ar ... awk-crash/
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