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Amateur footage shows one of the Red Arrows flying at a lower height
Flt Lt Jon Egging, 33, from Rutland, died when his Hawk T1
aircraft crashed near Bournemouth Airport after a display on Saturday
afternoon.
Witnesses described seeing his plane hit the ground in a field by the River Stour near the village of Throop.
Books of condolence are to be opened in Bournemouth later for public tributes.
Dorset Police said Flt Lt Egging, known as 'Eggman', was thrown from the aircraft and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Flt Lt Egging flew on the right hand outside of the Diamond Nine formation
Shortly before the crash, his wife, Dr Emma Egging, had watched him take part in a display at the Bournemouth Air Festival.
She said later: "Watching him today, I was the proudest I've ever been. I loved everything about him, and he will be missed."
Gp Capt Simon Blake, the commandant of the RAF Central Flying
School, said the Ministry of Defence had begun an investigation into
the cause of the crash and all Red Arrows Hawk T1 aircraft, based at RAF
Scampton in Lincolnshire, had been grounded as a standard safety
measure.
He said: "At this juncture it is too early to speculate as to the cause of the accident.
"In accordance with normal policy the Ministry of Defence has
appointed a service inquiry to investigate the circumstances
surrounding the accident and... have grounded the Hawk T1 temporarily
until its safety can be assured.
"As for the rest of the season it is too early to speculate
as to when the Red Arrows will be back on the public circuit but suffice
to say for the short term they will not be able to perform in public."
'Heard a crack'
The crash site was cordoned off by police soon after the
incident and only people living inside the zone were being allowed
access.
The Military Air Accident Investigation Branch has started an inquiry.
Flt Lt Egging's aircraft was one of nine Red Arrows planes to take part in the display over the seafront.
The plane plunged into a field near the River Stour
The RAF said he joined the team in the autumn of 2010 and flew on the right hand outside of the famous Diamond Nine formation.
Nicholas Gore, 22, was walking with a friend close to the river when he saw all nine Red Arrows overhead.
"There were quite a few people watching and we saw them go over but one seemed quite low," he said.
"They then disappeared behind trees and I heard a crack, not
an explosion, just a crack and we got further down and I saw the plane
with its red tail in the air and its nose in the river."
Another witness, who did not want to be named, said the plane
had skidded for several hundred metres along the riverbank after it
crashed.
Messages for family
Bournemouth Borough Council leader Peter Charon said he had
arranged for the authority to open two books of condolence on Sunday
"for people to express their sympathy and record memories".
"The mayor of Bournemouth and myself will be opening these
books... at Bournemouth Town Hall, recording our sympathies on behalf of
the town and the council respectively," he said.
He said the books would be opened
at 10:00 BST and people could sign them up until 20:00 on Sunday. They
will also be available for signing throughout the week.
The council said it would hand the books to Flt Lt Egging's
family, along with any donations given by members of the public for the
family's chosen charity.
In a statement, the borough council asked anyone wishing to
leave floral tributes to place them on the grass banks around the Town
Hall.
Bournemouth Air Festival organisers said the event would go ahead on Sunday, with other RAF displays among the attractions.
All nine Red Arrows display pilots are fast jet pilots from frontline Royal Air Force squadrons.
Flt Lt Egging joined the RAF in 2000 and served with IV(AC)
Squadron based at RAF Cottesmore, flying the Harrier GR9 in support of
coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The Red Arrows have used the dual control BAE Systems Hawk T1 aircraft since 1979.
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