Shoreham Airshow pilot committed fatal ‘errors’ during doomed looped stunt that led to horror crash that killed 11
AIR accident investigators have said that "pilot errors" led to the Shoreham Airshow disaster.
The tragedy saw eleven people killed when a vintage Hawker Hunter jet piloted by Andrew Hill, 52, failed to pull out of a loop-the-loop stunt on August 22, 2015.
The plane crashed in a fireball on the busy A27 in West Sussex, hitting vehicles and pedestrians.
Since then an 18-month probe by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has taken place to determine the cause of the crash and make safety recommendations to prevent similar incidents.
The report has determined that the Hawker Hunter failed to get enough height before pulling off a looping stunt.
The report reads...
- The pilot either did not perceive that an escape manoeuvre was necessary, or did not realise that one was possible at the speed achieved at the apex of the manoeuvre
- The pilot had not received formal training to escape from the accident manoeuvre in a Hunter and had not had his competence to do so assessed
- The pilot had not practised the technique for escaping from the accident manoeuvre in a Hunter, and did not know the minimum speed from which an escape manoeuvre could be carried out successfully
- A change of ground track during the manoeuvre positioned the aircraft further east than planned producing an exit track along the A27 dual carriageway
- The manoeuvre took place above an area occupied by the public over which the organisers of the flying display had no control
- The severity of the outcome was due to the absence of provisions to mitigate the effects of an aircraft crashing in an area outside the control of the organisers of the flying display
Incredibly Mr Hill survived the devastating crash, and is being investigated by Sussex Police for possible manslaughter.
The 11 victims of the crash were personal trainer Matt Jones, 24 and his pal Daniele Polito, 23, who was travelling in the same car.
Worthing United footballers Matthew Grimstone, 23, and Jacob Schilt, 23, were travelling to a match when the plane came down on top of them.
Maurice Abrahams, 76, was on his way to pick up a bride for her wedding day when he died and Richard Smith, 26, and Dylan Archer, 42, were killed while on a bike ride to the South Downs.
Mark Reeves had taken a motorcycle to the edge of the airshow to take photos of the plane died along with Tony Brightwell, 53, who himself had learned to fly at Shoreham Airport.
The final two victims were 54-year-old Mark Trussler who was riding his motorcyle on the A27 at the time and retired engineer Graham Mallinson.
Sussex Police said it hopes to submit a file of material to the Crown Prosecution Service before the next pre-inquest review on June 20.