Red Arrows crash: Scampton prayers for Jon Egging

Dr Emma Egging said her husband loved his job

Prayers have been said at a church service in Lincolnshire for a Red Arrows pilot who died during a crash at an air display.

Flt Lt Jon Egging, 33, from Rutland, died when his plane came down at the end of a display near Bournemouth airport on Saturday.

Tributes have been left at RAF Scampton, where the Red Arrows are based.

The service took place at St John the Baptist church in Scampton.

Reverend Bill Williams said his prayers were with Dr Emma Egging, Flt Lt Egging's widow.

'Shock and disbelief'

"The Arrows have been with us for a long time, we have a close relationship with them.

"We watch them practice and now there's this deep feeling of shock and disbelief.

"We've seen them do wonderful things in the air. We always felt they were invincible, then this happens and we realise we're all human and it can go terribly wrong," Mr Williams said.

Books of condolence have been opened at RAF Scampton and in Bournemouth.

All Hawk T1 aircraft were grounded after the incident which is now being investigated by the Military Aviation Authority.

The aircraft wreckage is expected to be removed from the site by the end of the week.

Afghanistan

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the investigation could take weeks but an interim report was expected within days.

An inquest into Flt Lt Egging's death was opened and adjourned in Bournemouth on Monday.

A post-mortem examination showed the cause of death was multiple injuries.

Coroner Sheriff Payne said it was unlikely a full inquest would be held for up to 12 months.

Flt Lt Egging, who grew up in Southam, Warwickshire, 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.