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| Situation Update No. 1 Ref.no.: VIV-20100323-25434-GRC
Situation Update No. 1
On 2010-03-23 at 15:53:05 [UTC]
Event: Vehicle Incident
Location: Greece Crete Kastelli area Number of Injured: 1 person(s)
Situation: Two Red Arrows collided mid-air over Crete during a training session today in the first such crash in almost 40 years. Both pilots survived, but one was taken to hospital. The Hawk jets had been taking part in pre-season training before they were due to fly to Cyprus for a full display practice, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said. It is not known whether all nine Red Arrows in the team were present or just the two that collided. “We can confirm that an incident has occurred involving the Red Arrows whilst undertaking pre-season training at Hellenic Air Force Base Kastelli in Crete,” the spokesman said. “One pilot ejected and has been taken to hospital, the other landed safely.” The identity of the pilots involved was not given. An inquiry will take place to establish the cause of the collision, which happened at 1.50pm local time. The world-famous Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team has suffered a number of crashes and collisions since it started performing displays in the 1960s. The Hawk jets reach speeds of up to 550mph during their routines, which include the trademark diamond nine formation as well as barrel rolls and loop-the-loops. The team puts on 80 to 90 shows across the world every year. It was not clear how today’s collision would affect the team’s performance schedule. The Red Arrows keep a tenth plane in reserve in the event of technical problems. The last time two Red Arrows collided was in 1971 when four pilots were killed and two aircraft destroyed during training over RAF Kemble in Gloucestershire. The “Diamond Nine” are now based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. |  | | | |
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