Parents pay tribute to fighter pilot killed in crash
Posted: July 1, 2013 Filed under: Accidents & Incidents | Tags: Anglesey, Anniversary, Collision, Flight Lieutenant Hywel Poole, Killed, Llandegfan, Mid Air, Moray Firth, RAF, Royal Air Force, Scotland, Tornado GR.4, Training Excercise Leave a comment
By Hywel Trewyn
Mum says he crammed everything into his life, he would work hard and party hard, always with a smile
The parents of a fighter pilot who died in a midair collision between two Tornado jets have spoken of their “happy, loving son” on the first anniversary of his death.
Flight Lieutenant Hywel Poole, 28, from Llandegfan, Anglesey, was killed along with two others on a training exercise over the Moray Firth in Scotland on July 3 last year.
At his funeral at Bangor Cathedral, Hywel was described as a “loving man” and “exceptional” RAF fighter pilot.
In their first interview since his death, his mum Denise Davies, 61, and father Mike, 59, paid tribute to their son, who was due to join 617 Dambusters Squadron three weeks after the accident.
Denise, who has remarried and lives in Oxford, said: “He loved flying. He crammed everything into his life. He would work hard and party hard, always with a smile.”
She added: “He had about nine sorties to fly before having to go out to Afghanistan. He also planned to get married, probably this year.
Fighting back the tears, retired dentist Denise said: “I was always aware the training they had to do in the fast jets was just as dangerous.
“He was very proud to be a RAF pilot. He was living his dream as a fast-jet pilot. He was always very happy, kind and caring. He had a very strong sense of fair play. He wanted to help people. He was a very happy, loving son.
The funeral of Hywel Poole
Recalling his upbringing, she added: “Anglesey was a wonderful place to bring up children. He would cycle down to the banks of the Menai to sail or surf. He lived in a wetsuit.”
“He loved the RNLI and had his bedroom wall was covered with posters of lifeboats.”
Dad Mike, 59, a retired pathology scientist of Llandegfan, said: “We’re holding up. It’s always on your mind. The RAF have been very supportive.”
An inquiry into the deaths is on-going. A fatal accident inquiry, or FAI, and a court hearing by a Procurator Fiscal in Scotland is awaited.
Mike said: “It will be nice if we can ask questions at the inquiry if we want to.”
While Hywel died, his instructor Sqr Paul Evans miraculously survived but broke his spine. The other pilot, Flt Lieut Adam Sanders, and his trainer, Sqr Ldr Samuel Bailey, both died.
Mike said: “All we know is that the two planes collided. They don’t know how his instructor survived. We won’t know why it happened until the investigation.
“He had a glittering career in front of him as a fast-jet pilot. His commanding officer said he was a natural Tornado pilot. It was something he did very, very well.”
Mike said Hywel was planning to propose to his partner Beth, who now lives in Australia but remains in touch. They’d been together five years before the tragic accident. He has an older brother Owen, who lives in the Vale of Glamorgan.
There will be a short memorial service on the base at Lossiemouth on Wednesday and a memorial unveiled for the three who died. There is also going to be a cairn in the garden of the officers’ mess on the base.
On Friday, Mike and Denise will be attending a service of dedication at the National Memorial Arboretum in Lichfield, Staffordshire, where Hywel’s name and others from the armed forces who died in 2012 will be inscribed.
The next day, Saturday July 6, the Hywel Poole Memorial Race will be held on the Menai Strait in his honour.
A pupil at Ysgol Llandegfan and Ysgol David Hughes, Hywel sailed for Wales and the UK. He studied engineering at Southampton University and joined the Air Cadets. In his final year he won an RAF bursary to go on to Cranwell College and started training on fast jets.
A patriotic Welshman, Hywel always wore a red shirt whenever his country played – his hero was rugby star George North.
Hywel started his basic jet training at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire when he was 23. He then went to train on Hawks at RAF Valley – the only one out of a squadron of 12 who wasn’t made redundant. Denise believes he was kept on because of his leadership qualities learned from sailing.
During this time he sailed around Anglesey in a Laser dinghy – and in record time – to raise money for Help For Heroes. From Valley, he went on to train on the Tornados at RAF Lossiemouth.
The Hywel Poole Memorial Race is at Y Felinheli on Saturday.
Sourced by Daily Post
RAF Lossiemouth Tornado crash off Wick: Flt Lt Hywel Poole funeral held in Wales
Posted: July 18, 2012 Filed under: Accidents & Incidents, Military News | Tags: Accident, Crash, Flt Lt Adam Sanders, Flt Lt Hywel Poole, GR4, Incident, Loch Ewe, MOD, Moray Firth, RAF, RAF Lossiemouth, Royal Air Force, Scotland, Sqd Ldr Samuel Bailey, Tornado GR4, Wick Leave a comment
The funeral of an airman who died when two Tornado GR4 jets crashed in the Moray Firth has been held in Wales.
Flt Lt Hywel Poole, 28, from Menai Bridge, died in hospital after being airlifted from the scene.
His coffin was draped with a Union Jack flag for the ceremony at Bangor Cathedral.
Members of the public paid their respects in the streets as the funeral of the “exceptionally talented” RAF airman took place.
The planes from 15 (Reserve) Sqd at RAF Lossiemouth crashed into the sea south of Wick, Caithness.
Gp Capt Ian Gale, station commander at RAF Lossiemouth, said the deaths of Flt Lt Poole and his colleagues were a “dreadful loss”.
Speaking before the funeral began, he said: “The loss of these men has been felt very, very deeply by the military family but our grief is second obviously to that of the families.”
He said he was a “kind and compassionate man”.
Flt Lt Poole’s coffin was draped with a Union flagThe Ministry of Defence said the remains of Flt Lt Adam Sanders, 27, who grew up in Lancashire, had now been found.
The body of Sqn Ldr Samuel Bailey, 36, has still to be recovered.
Additional remains which have been found have yet to be identified.
The sole survivor of the incident, who has not been named, is in hospital.
It happened during a training flight on 3 July.
An investigation into what caused the fatal air crash is continuing.
The wreckage has now also been recovered.
Sourced by BBC
Tornado crash: Anglesey Flt Lt Hywel Poole tributes
Posted: July 5, 2012 Filed under: Accidents & Incidents, Military News | Tags: Accident, Crash, Flt Lt Adam Sanders, Flt Lt Hywel Poole, GR4, Incident, Loch Ewe, MOD, Moray Firth, RAF, RAF Lossiemouth, Royal Air Force, Scotland, Sqd Ldr Samuel Bailey, Tornado GR4, Wick Leave a comment
Tributes are being paid to an Anglesey airman who is among three who died when two Tornado GR4 jets crashed in the Moray Firth, Scotland.
Flt Lt Hywel Poole, 28, from Menai Bridge died in hospital after being airlifted from the scene.
Sqd Ldr Samuel Bailey, 35, and Flt Lt Adam Sanders, 27, are also feared to have died.
The sole survivor of the incident, who has not yet been named, is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
The planes from 15 (Reserve) Sqd at RAF Lossiemouth, in Moray, crashed into the sea south of Wick, in Caithness, during a training flight on Tuesday afternoon.
The names were released by the UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond in the House of Commons.
Flt Lt Poole was a keen sailor, representing Wales and BritainMr Hammond said: “I am sure the House will wish to join me in paying tribute to the crew from 15 (Reserve) Squadron, based at RAF Lossiemouth, who were involved in the Tornado GR4 aircraft incident on Tuesday.
“My thoughts – and, I am sure, those of the entire House – are with their loved ones at this difficult time, and with the fourth member of the squadron involved in the incident, who is currently in a serious but stable condition in hospital.”
Flt Lt Poole was born in Bangor, growing up in nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey and going to school at Ysgol David Hughes.
It was there he became a member of the Welsh national and British national sailing squads and became a RYA instructor.
He recently sailed solo around Anglesey in a dinghy to raise more than £2,000 of the Help for Heroes charity.
He joined the RAF officer training programme in 2006, after studying for a degree in naval architecture at Southampton University.
After successfully completing basic and advanced flying training he was selected for training on the Tornado GR4, arriving at RAF Lossiemouth in November 2011.
‘Natural talent’
Officer Commanding XV (Reserve) Squadron, Wing Commander Jonathon Moreton, said:
“Flight Lieutenant Hywel Poole had an outgoing personality, was universally liked by his colleagues, and was an enthusiastic member of my squadron and the Royal Air Force.
“Displaying a natural talent for flying the Tornado, he quickly established himself on the squadron as a very capable and confident pilot, which, coupled with his keen sense of humour and engaging character, made him a very popular student on the squadron.
The two other missing airmen have been named as Sqd Ldr Samuel Bailey and Flt Lt Adam Sanders“Outside the squadron, he dedicated much of his personal time to others; he mentored other station personnel who aspired to gain a commission and would always volunteer to raise money for station charities, including Help for Heroes.
“An infectious personality, always cheerful, friendly and immensely likeable, Hywel will be greatly missed by all. My thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”
An investigation into what caused the fatal air crash is continuing, as are efforts to recover the missing crew and wreckage.
Sourced by BBC
Tornado jet crash: Crew search not resumed
Posted: July 4, 2012 Filed under: Accidents & Incidents, Military News | Tags: Accident, Crash, GR4, Incident, Loch Ewe, MOD, Moray Firth, RAF, RAF Lossiemouth, Royal Air Force, Scotland, Tornado GR4, Wick Leave a comment
The search has not resumed for two airmen missing in the Moray Firth after two RAF Tornado jets crashed.
The GR4 jets are understood to have collided on Tuesday afternoon.
The aircraft, which each have a crew of two, were from RAF Lossiemouth, in the north east of Scotland. Two of the four air crew were airlifted to hospital in Inverness but there are no details about their condition.
BBC Scotland understands efforts in the firth are now focused on recovery.
Visibility was said to be poor in the area.
Police and the Coastguard have been patrolling shorelines and members of the public have been asked to report any debris.
Wreckage collected
Aberdeen Coastguard was alerted to the incident at about 13:50 BST on Tuesday, after reports that the jets came down about 25 miles south of Wick.
The RNLI said 15 volunteers manned the Wick, Invergordon and Buckie lifeboats, which were used to search for the missing personnel.
The boats headed for the Beatrice oil field area, supported by a helicopter from Stornoway in the Western Isles.
The crash happened about 25 miles south of WickWreckage from one of the aircraft was collected from the water and transported back to shore on lifeboat Buckie – the location of the second aircraft is not yet known.
Lossiemouth station commander Gp Capt Ian Gale said: “The circumstances remain uncertain, but clearly this is a very serious incident.
“The thoughts from everyone here are with the families and friends of those involved.”
First Minister Alex Salmond said: “This is clearly a very serious incident and my thoughts are with the loved ones of those affected.
“I understand rescue services have done all they can to help with the situation and offer my thanks to all those involved.
There have been previous accidents involving RAF Tornado aircraft.
In January 2011, an engine fire caused a Tornado GR4 based at RAF Lossiemouth to crash into the sea off north west Scotland – the crew in that incident managed to eject to safety.
The following month, a Tornado crew was forced to eject after experiencing problems landing at the same base – there were not thought to have been serious injuries.
The supersonic Tornado GR4 attack aircraft has seen decades of RAF service, being used in various military operations that include in Iraq, Kosovo, Afghanistan and most recently Libya.
Sourced by BBC
Two picked up after Tornados crash
Posted: July 3, 2012 Filed under: Accidents & Incidents, Military News | Tags: Accident, Crash, GR4, Incident, Loch Ewe, MOD, Moray Firth, RAF, RAF Lossiemouth, Royal Air Force, Scotland, Tornado GR4, Wick Leave a commentTwo people have been picked up by helicopter from the Moray Firth after two Tornado jets crashed off the north coast of Scotland.
They were taken to hospital in Inverness, the RNLI said, where their condition is unknown.
About 15 lifeboat volunteers joined the rescue operation in three boats after reports that two jets came down about 25 miles south of Wick.
An RNLI spokesman said: “Two people have been picked up by helicopter and transferred to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.”
Aberdeen coastguard contacted the RNLI at about 1.50pm on Tuesday.
Boats were sent from Wick, Invergordon and Buckie towards the Beatrice oil field area, supported by helicopter from Stornoway in the Western Isles. Crew from the Buckie boat reported that two people were taken from the sea by helicopter.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: “We are aware of an incident in the Moray Firth area involving two Tornado GR4s from RAF Lossiemouth.”
Tornado aircraft have been involved in crashes in Scotland in recent years.
In January last year two RAF crew were rescued after their Tornado GR4 jet came down in the sea off the west coast of Scotland. The crew, from RAF Lossiemouth, ejected from the plane before it landed in the waters at Loch Ewe, near Gairloch, Wester Ross.
RAF Lossiemouth, on the Moray Firth coast, is home to three squadrons of Tornado GR4s. The Tornado GR4 is a two-seat attack aircraft, capable of delivering a variety of weapons and reaching a maximum altitude of 50,000ft (15,240m).
Sourced by MSN
Search after two RAF jets crashed in Moray Firth
Posted: July 3, 2012 Filed under: Accidents & Incidents, Military News | Tags: Accident, Crash, GR4, Incident, Loch Ewe, MOD, Moray Firth, RAF, RAF Lossiemouth, Royal Air Force, Scotland, Tornado GR4, Wick Leave a commentThe RAF is co-ordinating a search and rescue after reports of two RAF Tornado jets crashing in the Moray Firth.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the Tornado GR4s were from RAF Lossiemouth, on the Moray coast.
RAF Lossiemouth, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and RNLI have been alerted to the incident.
Buckie and Wick lifeboats have been launched and an RAF helicopter has been involved in the search for the aircraft and crew.
The MoD said: “The RAF are aware of an incident involving two Tornado GR4 aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth in the Moray Firth.
“The incident is being investigated and more information will be provided when available.”
Sourced from BBC News.
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