A ROYAL Air Force accident inquiry board has called for a review of low-level flying procedures in the wake of a high-speed jet crash in Northumberland last year.

A report into the accident, which happened near Kirkheaton, revealed the pilot was trying to avoid flight paths around Newcastle Airport when his Tornado plunged towards the ground.

The pilot and navigator killed were students on the Qualified Weapons Instructor course.

The crash happened as the jet and another plane flew low-level manoeuvres in atrocious weather conditions last October.

A black box flight recorder recovered from the wreckage showed the plane was in full working order.

The report found that: "the weather in the operation area (which possibly caused the crew to become disorientated), poor crew resource management, an incorrectly executed low level bad weather abort, and the proximity of Newcastle Airport's controlled airspace all contributed to the accident."

The board recommended a thorough review of bad weather low-level abort procedures for all RAF low flyers, and that the fitting of a ground proximity warning system to all RAF aircraft should be considered.