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A Red Arrow aeroplane has crashed in Dorset following a display at the Bournemouth Air Festival.

The fire service confirmed they were called to an air crash at 13:50 BST near Bournemouth International Airport.

Eyewitnesses described seeing the plane plunge to the ground in a field 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.

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.

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."

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. 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 going. From my scene here I can see a police helicopter and a coastguard helicopter and they're hovering in the air above the site."

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We can confirm that we are aware of an incident involving one of the Red Arrows and we are investigating."

It is with sadness that the MOD must confirm the death of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging of the RAF Aerobatics Team (The Red Arrows).

Flt Lt Egging was killed when his Hawk T1 aircraft ^ Red 4 ^ crashed around 1km South East of Bournemouth Airport at 1350 on Sat 20 Aug 2011.

A full Service Inquiry into the crash has been initiated. It would be inappropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident at this time.