A Red Arrow aeroplane has crashed in Dorset at the Bournemouth Air Festival.
The fire service confirmed they were called to an air crash at 13:50 BST near Bournemouth International Airport.

The Red Arrows in action at Whitby Regatta in 2007 - Photography by DOUG JACKSON

Eyewitnesses described seeing the plane plunge to the ground in a field near the River Stour at Throop village.

It was one of nine Red Arrows that had earlier taken part in a display over the seafront. No details are known about possible casualties.

Shaun Spencer-Perkins, who witnessed the crash from Throop Mill, said: "I heard a rushing sound and I saw a plane about 15m above the ground racing across the fields.

"It impacted and bounced across the field, made it across the river.

"Members of the public jumped into the water to search for the cockpit.

"We waved down the helicopter, I took off my son's orange jacket and my wife's red jumper to get the attention of the helicopter."

He said the plane had crashed about 100m from where he and his family were walking near the River Stour and debris was spread across a large area.
'Cracking sound'
Another eyewitness, Nicholas Gore, 22, from Throop, was walking with a friend near the river when saw all nine Red Arrows go over.

"There were quite a few people watching and we saw them go over but one seemed quite low," he said.

The Red Arrows in action at Whitby Regatta in 2007 - Photography by DOUG JACKSON

"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.



Mark Grogan was playing a round of golf at the nearby Parley Golf Centre, where he works, at the time of the crash.

He said: "I heard a sound like a car backfiring. Within five minutes the helicopters arrived, there were at least five helicopters including the police and two from the coastguard.

"One of the local farmers said they'd seen rescue teams pulling the pilot out of the river."

The Red Arrows in action at Whitby Regatta in 2007 - Photography by DOUG JACKSON

BBC South Today producer Martin Webster, who was at the scene, said he saw only eight of the nine Red Arrows RAF display team's aircraft land on the runway following the display at the annual event.

Darren Blakeman, who was watching the display, described what he saw: "We watched nine Red Arrows take off, then they did an approach from the south of the runway, they did a little display.

The Red Arrows in action at Whitby Regatta in 2007 - Photography by DOUG JACKSON

"After that display only eight of the airplanes landed and then there was a big siren went off at the airport, like an emergency sound, and there was a big yellow fire truck parked in the viewing area and then that rushed off with its blue lights
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Full bbc report here  :  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14602900http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14602900


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A RED Arrows pilot has died after his plane crashed minutes after thrilling crowds in a display at Bournemouth Air Festival.
He has been named as 33-year-old Jon Egging, who joined the team this year as Red Four.
The former Southampton University student, who had supported troops in Afghanistan, was married to Emma and lived in Rutland.
His plane came down on a riverbank at Throop as the aerobatic display team headed back to Bournemouth Airport.

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So sad. Condolences to fiends and family....a sad day.