RAF Inquest: Death increased need for more engineers

The death of a Red Arrows pilot increased the "focus" needed on raising the number of engineers working for the team, an inquest has heard.

The process to assign more manpower to the display unit was already in motion but the shocking accident in which Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham was killed at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire highlighted the need to rectify the shortfall in staff, a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer has said.

Air Commodore George Martin, who was chief air engineer at the time of Flt Lt Cunningham's death in November 2011, told Central Lincolnshire Coroner's Court that he had already received notice that the Red Arrows were short of around 19 engineers.

Flt Lt Cunningham was killed after he was ejected from his Hawk T1 aircraft while on the ground at the Lincolnshire air base and propelled 200 to 300ft in the air, on November 8 2011.

He was a highly regarded and experienced pilot with the RAF's aerial display team as well as an Iraq war veteran.

The parachute on the ejector seat did not deploy and the 35-year-old South African-born airman later died in hospital as a result of multiple injuries.

Asked at the inquest by Tom Kark QC, representing Flt Lt Cunningham's family, if the tragedy had been the catalyst for an increase in manning, Air Cdre Martin said work was under way by in the autumn of 2011 to justify and present a case further up the hierarchy as to why levels should increase.

The inquest, which began last week, has already heard evidence from witnesses who said workload meant engineers had little opportunity to get their hands on the planes, and in 2007 there were more experienced staff at corporate level.

Staff on the team had also expressed concerns about a lack of training in some crew and "dilution" in roles.

The inquest continues.