Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging (1977/1978 – 20 August 2011) was a Royal Air Force pilot on the Red Arrows aerobatics display team, who died after crashing into a field in Throop, Dorset.

It was determined that Flt Lt Egging was incapacitated due to the effects of g-force induced loss of consciousness until very shortly before impact.

Egging was the first Red Arrows pilot to die in an aircraft crash in the 21st century, since Flt Lt Neil Duncan MacLachlan, in 1988.

[5] Egging attended Southam School, Warwickshire, where he gained A-levels in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

During his last year on his squadron, Egging became a qualified flying instructor, moving to Royal Air Force Wittering to transition to teaching on the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit, in April 2010.

[9] On the morning of 20 August 2011, Egging awoke at approximately 08:00 BST, completing a 5 mile (8.04 km) run along the seafront and cliffs, with his wife, who had travelled to Bournemouth for the weekend.

After this, he went to a local bakery to collect packed lunches for him and the other Red Arrows pilots, before meeting to be transported to Bournemouth International Airport at approximately 11:30 BST.

The radio calls that he was expected to make during the display were made and it was reported that he engaged in some ‘light hearted banter’, prior to the end of flying.

[6][9] Following the display, the aircraft were given clearance by Air Traffic Control (ATC) and began returning to Bournemouth International Airport.

Initially, Red 1, Sqn Ldr Ben Murphy, flying tail number XX177, had planned to ask the other pilots to perform a 'loop' into the landing, rather than a 'flat break'.

Red 2 (tail number XX266) was immediately behind Egging's aircraft and radioed a warning of ‘4 check height’.

The force of the collision ripped the front and rear ejector seats out of the cockpit of Egging's aircraft and a substantial amount of wreckage was found on the eastern bank and within the River Stour.

Witnesses reported how Egging guided his aircraft away from houses in the village and from people walking on the riverbank, prior to crashing.

On 25 August 2011, the aircraft were cleared to fly, after the initial investigation found there were no wider safety concerns involved in Egging's accident.

Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, that covers the area of Throop, Tobias Ellwood, described Egging as a ‘brave man’, detailing how rather than ejecting from his aircraft, Egging ‘was able to manoeuvre it [the aircraft] away from a built up area – an action which probably cost him his life’.

The event was so popular, that the final pull in memory of Egging had to be delayed, due to how many people wanted to register for it.

Members of the public pulled a Titan Airways Boeing 737, weighing 33,000 kg, 50 metres along tarmac at the airport.

[21][22] On 3 September 2011, Egging's funeral, with full military honours, was held at St Mary the Virgin Church, in Morcott, Rutland.

Eight witnesses gave evidence, including Egging's wife, Dr Emma Egging, a Throop resident who witnessed the crash, pathologist Dr Graham Maidment and representatives from the RAF, including Red 1 on the day of the crash, Sqn Ldr Murphy.

On 23 August 2011, three days after the crash, a service inquiry panel met at Farnborough, to investigate the accident, under section 343 of the Armed Forces Act 2006.

This included the aircraft nose leg, which was the largest piece that was unrecoverable, having been assessed to be buried in the bed of the river.

[26] The service inquiry found ‘the most likely cause of the accident to XX179 was G-induced impairment (A-LOC) of the pilot leading to flight into terrain’.

[8] Exposure to G forces can decrease the blood supply to the brain, meaning vision can be reduced (known as a ‘grey out’) or totally tossed (known as a ‘black-out’).

This is where a person is impaired cognitively and functionally, without complete loss of muscle tone and body position seen in G-LOC.

As muscle tone is not lost as it is in G-LOC, a person may have the strength to control equipment, yet their cognitive functions may have stopped.

Furthermore, a number of aggravating factors and other factors were documented, that whilst not casual or contributory, could make the outcome of a future accident worse: Gp Cat David Bentley, the Commandant of the RAF Central Flying School stated that the manoeuvre that Egging was performing when he crashed had been slowed down and that Red 1 must make a ‘hot call’ if he is faster than the target speed, urging other pilots to ‘take additional caution on the break’.

[28] On 22 September 2011, it was reported that a permanent memorial was to be created at the East Cliff, with plans for it to be in place before the 2012 air festival.

Inspired by designs from local schoolchildren, the memorial  stands at 5 metres high, with three red arrows and their trail smoke.

[32] On 20 August 2021, the 10-year anniversary of Egging's death, a plaque was presented at the memorial, with a poem entitled 'My Future Dreams' engraved on it.

[7] In June 2021, it was reported that Dr Egging had been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours, receiving an OBE for her work with the JET.