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| MoD flight suspension after Red Arrows ejector seat death | MoD flight suspension after Red Arrows ejector seat death |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Training flights in aircraft fitted with ejector seats similar to the one in which a Red Arrows pilot was killed, have been suspended. | Training flights in aircraft fitted with ejector seats similar to the one in which a Red Arrows pilot was killed, have been suspended. |
| The Ministry of Defence (MoD) grounded the flights following the death of Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham, 35, at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. | |
| Other RAF aircraft fitted with MK10 ejector seats are Hawk T1, Tornado and Tucano. | Other RAF aircraft fitted with MK10 ejector seats are Hawk T1, Tornado and Tucano. |
| The MoD said: "The safety of our crews remains our paramount concern." | The MoD said: "The safety of our crews remains our paramount concern." |
| It added: "All non-essential RAF flying on aircraft fitted with a similar ejector seat to the Hawk T1 has been temporarily suspended." | It added: "All non-essential RAF flying on aircraft fitted with a similar ejector seat to the Hawk T1 has been temporarily suspended." |
| It said the suspension was "pending further investigation and purely as a precautionary measure". | It said the suspension was "pending further investigation and purely as a precautionary measure". |
| Iraq veteran | Iraq veteran |
| The Military Aviation Authority is carrying out an independent inquiry to determine the cause of the accident. | The Military Aviation Authority is carrying out an independent inquiry to determine the cause of the accident. |
| Flt Lt Cunningham, who lived in Coventry and attended Nottingham Trent University before joining the airforce in 2000, had flown with the 617 Dambuster Squadron based at Lossiemouth. | Flt Lt Cunningham, who lived in Coventry and attended Nottingham Trent University before joining the airforce in 2000, had flown with the 617 Dambuster Squadron based at Lossiemouth. |
| He was involved in several operational tours over Iraq. | He was involved in several operational tours over Iraq. |
| Speaking in the House of Commons, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I'm sure the hearts of everyone in this house go out to the family of the pilot who was killed in this terrible accident and it comes on top of a second accident that happened in the Red Arrows. | Speaking in the House of Commons, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I'm sure the hearts of everyone in this house go out to the family of the pilot who was killed in this terrible accident and it comes on top of a second accident that happened in the Red Arrows. |
| "This has obviously been a very tragic time for something that the whole country reveres and loves and I know that their home to them in Lincolnshire is extremely important. We must get to the bottom of what happened." | "This has obviously been a very tragic time for something that the whole country reveres and loves and I know that their home to them in Lincolnshire is extremely important. We must get to the bottom of what happened." |
| Medical teams were called to RAF Scampton, the base of the Red Arrows, after the accident at 11:00 GMT on Tuesday. | Medical teams were called to RAF Scampton, the base of the Red Arrows, after the accident at 11:00 GMT on Tuesday. |
| Group Captain Simon Blake said: "The pilot was ejected from the aircraft whilst the aircraft was on the ground." | Group Captain Simon Blake said: "The pilot was ejected from the aircraft whilst the aircraft was on the ground." |
| The suspension affects RAF aircraft fitted with Martin Baker Mk 10 ejection seats, and is expected to last for days rather than weeks. | The suspension affects RAF aircraft fitted with Martin Baker Mk 10 ejection seats, and is expected to last for days rather than weeks. |
| Flt Lt Cunningham was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and moved to the UK in 1986 at the age of nine. | Flt Lt Cunningham was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and moved to the UK in 1986 at the age of nine. |
| His family issued a statement saying: "Since his childhood Sean had dreamed of flying fast jets in the Royal Air Force; through his hard work and dedication he achieved that dream, and the pinnacle of his career was to fly in the Red Arrows. " | His family issued a statement saying: "Since his childhood Sean had dreamed of flying fast jets in the Royal Air Force; through his hard work and dedication he achieved that dream, and the pinnacle of his career was to fly in the Red Arrows. " |
| Winter training | Winter training |
| The Red Arrows completed their final display of the season in September and were carrying out their winter training at RAF Scampton. | The Red Arrows completed their final display of the season in September and were carrying out their winter training at RAF Scampton. |
| The accident came less than three months after another pilot with the Red Arrows aerobatics team, Flt Lt Jon Egging, 33, was killed after an air show in Dorset. | The accident came less than three months after another pilot with the Red Arrows aerobatics team, Flt Lt Jon Egging, 33, was killed after an air show in Dorset. |
| His aircraft crashed on 20 August, after performing a display with the Red Arrows watched by his wife. | His aircraft crashed on 20 August, after performing a display with the Red Arrows watched by his wife. |
| Flt Lt Egging flew in the Red Four postion, Flt Lt Sean Cunningham was Red Five. | Flt Lt Egging flew in the Red Four postion, Flt Lt Sean Cunningham was Red Five. |
| The RAF temporarily halted flights on all 126 of its Hawk T1 training jets while preliminary investigations were carried out into the cause of the earlier tragedy. | The RAF temporarily halted flights on all 126 of its Hawk T1 training jets while preliminary investigations were carried out into the cause of the earlier tragedy. |
| The Red Arrows have used the dual-control BAE Systems Hawk T1, which has a top speed of Mach 1.2, since 1979. | The Red Arrows have used the dual-control BAE Systems Hawk T1, which has a top speed of Mach 1.2, since 1979. |
| Hawk T1s are also used for training fast-jet pilots at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales, and RAF Leeming, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire. | Hawk T1s are also used for training fast-jet pilots at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales, and RAF Leeming, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire. |