When was the Shoreham Airshow crash disaster, how many people died and did Andy Hill go to trial?
THE Shoreham Airshow disaster happened in August 2015 and left 11 people dead.
Cops have spent more than two years investigating the crash and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found in March 2017 that the pilot, Andy Hill, had been flying too low and too slow. Here's what we know about the tragedy...
What was the Shoreham air crash disaster?
Eleven men died when a vintage single-seater Hawker Hunter jet failed to pull out of a loop-the-loop stunt during the Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex on August 22, 2015.
The 1955 plane, piloted by Andrew Hill, who survived the crash, plummeted into a fireball on the busy A27, hitting vehicles and pedestrians.
Sussex Police revealed in 2016 Hill was being investigated for possible endangerment pursuant to Article 138 Air Navigation Order 2009 and also manslaughter by gross negligence.
Following an investigation, police and CPS officials met with families of the victims on March 21, 2018 to discuss the case.
It was announced the same day by the Crown Prosecution Service that Andy Hill will face charges of manslaughter by gross negligence and endangering an aircraft under air navigation laws.
How many people died in the tragedy?
A total of eleven men died in the horrific disaster.
They were: wedding chauffeur Maurice Abrahams, 76, from Brighton; retired engineer James Mallinson, 72, from Newick, near Lewes; builder Mark Trussler, 54, from Worthing; cycling pals Dylan Archer, 42, from Brighton, and Richard Smith, 26, from Hove; NHS manager Tony Brightwell, 53, from Hove; grandfather Mark Reeves, 53, from Seaford; Worthing United footballers Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, both 23; personal trainer Matt Jones, 24; and Daniele Polito, 23, from Worthing.
What was Andy Hill been charged with and did it go to trial?
In 2017, the CPS announced that they would be pursuing charges against the pilot after several years of investigations.
On April 19 2018 Hill appeared in Westminster Magistrates' Court for the first time.
He stood trial charged with 11 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence and one count of endangering an aircraft under air navigation laws.
At Hill's trial at the Old Bailey in January 2019, the pilot was accused of "serious negligence".
On March 8, 2019, Hill was found not guilty of manslaughter at the Old Bailey.
The verdict was delivered unanimously.
Most read in news
Are Hawker Hunter aircraft still in service?
The Hawker Hunter is a British jet-powered fighter which was developed for the RAF during the late 1940s and early 1950s.
It was designed to take advantage of a newly developed Rolls-Royce turbo engine and was the first jet-powered aircraft produced by Hawker to be procured by the RAF.
On 7 September 1953, the modified first prototype broke the world air speed record for jet-powered aircraft, achieving a speed of 727.63mph.
During the 1960s, following the introduction of the supersonic Lightning, the Hunter transitioned to being operated as a fighter-bomber.
Two-seat versions remained in use for training and secondary roles with the RAF and the Royal navy until the early 1990s.
Sixty years after its original introduction it was still in active service, being operated by the Lebanese Air Force until 2014.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story fHeor The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.