Thread: Shoreham plane crash: Seven dead after Hawker Hunter hits cars

Shoreham plane crash: Seven dead after Hawker Hunter hits cars

• 9 minutes ago
• From the section Sussex

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Media caption Video footage shows the Hawker Hunter plane crashing in a ball of flames
Seven people have died after a Hawker Hunter jet crashed into several vehicles during Shoreham Airshow.
South East Coast Ambulance Service said the victims all died at the scene, with a further person being taken to hospital in critical condition.
The plane crashed on the nearby A27. Fourteen people were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Eyewitnesses said the plane was performing a loop but did not complete the manoeuvre and crashed.
Stephen Jones, who saw the crash, said: "The aeroplane involved is a Hawker Hunter T mark 7. And he'd just begun his flying display.
Read the latest updates on the crash

Police said the plane hit several vehicles "He'd gone up into a loop and as he was coming out of the loop I just thought, you're too low, you're too low, pull up.
"And he flew straight into the ground either on or very close to the A27, which runs past the airport."
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Media caption Stephen Jones: "I thought 'this is wrong, you're too low, you're not going to make this... then there was a huge explosion'"
Ailish Southall, who was driving along the A27 in West Sussex with her two children, said the plane came down close to them.
"We were waiting for it to go back up and it didn't - it seemed to kind of split in two," she said.
"There were huge amounts of fire and we ran from the car to kind of avoid the debris because we were about 15 metres away, we were just across the road from where the accident happened."
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Another eyewitness, tweeting as Jon B, said: "It (the plane) turned from the north by Lancing College, went to go low towards the airfield and went behind some trees below where I was.
"Then there was a crunch sound and a ball of flames and thick black smoke came up from the ground."
The plane is believed to have crashed after attempting a loop Emergency services arrived on the scene after the crash At the scene

BBC Sussex reporter Simon Jenkins
I'm standing on the middle of the A27 and it's deserted.
The police are taking no chances whatsoever. I've been asked to move back in case of any further explosions.
I've been speaking to people and they are absolutely stunned. The plane seems to have stalled mid manoeuvre and came crashing down on the A27.
The acrid smell and thick black smoke has just been fanning across the area and the skies are completely quiet.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said emergency services had declared a "major incident" with a number of helicopters deployed to the scene following the crash at 13:20 BST.
He said: "The casualties are all believed to have occurred on the road at this time and there are not thought to be any injuries to anyone actually on the airfield."
"The Air Accident Investigation Bureau are attending the scene and have asked anyone who has video or photographs of the plane in the time leading up to and including the crash to hold on to them and await advice as to whether they may be wanted to assist with the investigation."
The road is likely to remain closed for several hours.
Tim Loughton MP, who represents East Worthing and Shoreham, tweeted: "Tragic news that there have been fatalities at the Shoreham Air Show crash and our thoughts and prayers must be with the families and casualties."
It is the second incident at the Shoreham Airshow in recent years.
In September 2007 James Bond stuntman Brian Brown, 49, died when he crashed a World War Two Hurricane after carrying out an unplanned barrel roll at a re-enactment of the Battle of Britain.
Hawker Hunter

The Hawker Hunter flew over crowds during the display at Shoreham Airshow The Hawker Hunter was a mainstay of the RAF through the 1950s and early 1960s.
First flown in 1951, the single-seat plane was used as a fighter, fighter-bomber for reconnaissance and for aerobatics.
There was also a two-seat trainer version, which served with many other air forces. Two-seater variants are still used by the RAF for training.
The Hunter Hawker was deployed in major operations such as Malaya and Suez.
The plane was also flown by an RAF display team dubbed the "Black Arrows".

Worst disaster at a UK airshow ever, apparently.

Website down.
http://www.shorehamairshow.co.uk/

Been listening to reports on the radio most of the afternoon.
Crashed at a junction where the traffic lights are.
RIP.

Unbelieveable tragedy ,, this has been such a lovely warm summers day here in the UK and now this

R I P to all those poor innocent souls

Trying to loop de loop in that old bucket.

RIP

horrifying.

look at the cyclists in the path of the fireball.





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So sad and the times I have been to that airport or walked from Brighton to Shoreham. Seems the heat that caused me to laze around at home may have been my saviour.

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Pilot error?

It was reported on BBC radio 4 that he seemed to be doing a loop and went too low, but I wasn't there, so I don't know.

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

Pilot error?

The pilot survived the crash not sure how badly injured he is though.

Bit close to your doorstep KT mate ,, you must know the area well

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Bit close to your doorstep KT mate ,, you must know the area well

Certainly do Nig,i think its stupid allowing planes to do stunts over any area where there are a lot of people.
Last weekend was the Eastbourne Airshow at least if any plane has a problem there its going down into the sea.

Originally Posted by klong toey

i think its stupid allowing planes to do stunts over any area where there are a lot of people.

Lots of things in life are stupid... like crossing the road etc. Shit happens everywhere. I am sure the pilot didn't mean to harm anyone. He'd been there before.

There seem to be far too many of these occurences at airshows.

Time to call the whole thing off.

He was an experienced pilot, both commercially and in displays and so on.

While that doesn't rule out pilot error, it would still make equipment failure a more likely cause, especially on an ageing aircraft like that.

However, it will take some time for them to put humpty back together again and find out if something broke.

Sad for everyone. It really was an unlikely accident, 100 ft further on and it was a fireball in a field next to a busy road.

RIP

Yes right close to us next week infact we have the annual Clacton airshow here on the east coast .

I never get to go as the agreement I have with the company I work for does not allow me any holidays in peak periods , but most of my workmates go . I believe its over 2 days , red arrows + the Vulcan was there last year ,, I believe a few years ago they actually lost a harrier in the sea ,, anyway I think they have to do all the show over the sea to keep it a safe as possible .

I know sweet FA like most on here about actually flying a plane , but from watching that clip IMO he never seemed to go anywhere near high enough before performing that stunt , I would have thought it better to start far higher up to allow far more space to correct the downturn .

Originally Posted by cyrille

There seem to be far too many of these occurences at airshows.

Time to call the whole thing off.

A plane will go in one day, take out a couple of hundred, just a matter of time.

Originally Posted by Chittychangchang

Trying to loop de loop in that old bucket.

yea coming down the plane lost power and could not complete the loop.

looked like a suicide jobbie and fvcking amazing he's still alive.

I think you will find all these vintage planes on display however old have still to meet very strict safety regs + certificates