Red Arrows crash: widow tells of ‘proud and devastating’ day

Widow Emma Egging says day of her husband’s crash was first time she had seen him take part in full Red Arrows display The widow of a Red Arrows pilot killed in a crash after performing in an air festival has said the day of the tragedy was the first time she had seen him take part in a full display. Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging died on Saturday when his plane plunged into a field on the outskirts of Bournemouth. His widow, Emma, visited a display of floral tributes at Bournemouth town hall and said: “I watched Jon do a full display for the first time and I was really proud. Watching him, I was the proudest I’ve ever been. Everything that happened at the same time was obviously completely devastating.” She paid tribute to her husband and said she had been “bowled over” by the public support. “Jon was an amazing person and pilot and an amazing friend and husband and the tributes that have poured in over the last two days to him have just been astounding,” she said. “He was a completely dedicated husband and friend and he was just there for everybody. He always gave his absolute most whether it was for his job or his home life.” An inquest was opened in Bournemouth and adjourned while investigators carry out an inquiry into the crash. There has been speculation that the plane might have hit a bird before it crashed. The RAF said it was too early to determine a cause. The coroner’s officer, Mike Humphries, said a postmortem examination showed the pilot died from multiple injuries. The 33-year-old pilot, who lived in Rutland, has been praised for apparently directing his plane, Red 4, away from homes. The aircraft ended up in a field with its nose in the river Stour. Egging was thrown from the plane and was found dead in the water. About 2,000 people have signed six books of condolence at the town hall. Plane crashes Military Steven Morris guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 22, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.