THE HAMPSHIRE RAF pilot killed when his plane crashed in Cumbria was today hailed a hero who potentially saved hundreds of lives by sacrificing his own life.

Southampton-born Squadron Leader Michael Andrews, 38, died after his Hawk jet hit a house and a rail bridge close to the village of Shap near Penrith while on a low-flying training mission.

His co-pilot Lt Steve Todd, 28, of Grantham, Lincolnshire, was also killed. Local driver Colin Murray, whose van was hit by debris as it crossed the bridge, received minor injuries.

But today, as RAF investigators tried to piece together the last moments of the fatal flight to find out the cause of the tragedy, it was widely believed that the crew may have saved the village from devastation.

Maurice Weightman, local district councillor for Shap, said it was already accepted in the "badly shaken" community that the pilots made the choice not to eject but stay with the plane to make sure it didn't plough into the village centre, where more than 1,100 residents live. He said: "Quite a few people here think it's the case the pilots may have seen the school or garage only 100 yards away from the bridge and decided to stay with the plane to avoid them, but there has been no confirmation of that.

"Where they hit was right on the outskirts, the very last two houses were affected.

"I think they probably did try to avoid the village, and that was an absolutely courageous thing to do.

"My heart goes out to the families of those involved."

He said low-level flying was common in the area.

Squadron Leader Bruce Boe , heading the investigation into the death of his colleagues, spoke to the Daily Echo from the crash scene.

He said: "We have heard the reports that they may have changed course but we don't know the full details yet. We have recovered the black box and a full examination of the data and analysis of the debris of the aircraft will be carried out."

He said Sqdn Ldr Andrews was a vastly experienced pilot well known by everybody at the RAF Leeming base in North Yorkshire where he was stationed.

It is understood he was a trainer with No. 100 Squadron, which specialises in using the highly manoeuvrable Hawk aircraft - the same planes used by the RAF's Red Arrow display team - for low level tactical flying.

Sqdn Ldr Andrews is the middle of three sons to Courtney and Mary Andrews and attended Toynbee Secondary Modern School in Chandler's Ford, before moving on to St Mary's College in Bitterne Park, Southampton. He went on to gain a BSc honours degree in chemistry and physiology at Sheffield University.

There he was a member of the Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron on a Bulldog aircraft.

When he was in his early 20s Mr Andrews' family moved from Lawnside Road, Regent's Park, to Fir Road, Ashurst, and then to Fordingbridge where they live now.

He passed out from the RAF School of Recruit Training as the top recruit in his flight in 1980. He successfully completed his officer training at the Royal Air Force College, in Cranwell, Lincolnshire, in 1982.

Two years later he received his pilot's wings at RAF Valley, in Anglesey.

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