Pilot died in unusual accident, court told

A RED Arrows pilot died after the parachute on his ejection seat failed to deploy in an event that would only happen “once every 115 years”, a court has heard.

Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham was fatally injured after he was ejected from his Hawk T1 aircraft while conducting preflight checks on the ground at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire, on November 8 2011.

The parachute on the Mark 10B ejector seat did not deploy and the South African-born airman fell 200ft before he later died in hospital.

But the defence submissions for Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Ltd said an assessment by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was that such an incident would happen only once in more than 100 years.

The court was also told that the Middlesex-based firm had a “good system” in place and it “just failed in this instance”.

At Lincoln Crown Court yesterday, Richard Matthews, defending, said: “The company accepts its responsibility for the significant contribution and failings it has made in the death of Lieutenant Cunningham.”

Martin-Baker Aircraft Ltd director John Martin admitted on behalf of the company to the failure to ensure the safety of nonemployees in connection with the 35-year-old’s death at a hearing on January 22.

The court adjourned sentencing until Friday, February 23 at the same court.