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Shoreham airshow crash: 11 feared dead Shoreham airshow crash: 11 feared dead as police say more victims could emerge
(about 3 hours later)
Eleven people are now feared to have died in the Shoreham airshow crash, police have said. Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry of Sussex police said there were 11 people they were treating as “highly likely” to have died, but they could not yet formally identify any of the dead. However, two local footballers and a personal trainer have been named as probable victims. Police have warned that more victims may emerge from the Shoreham airshow crash, as it was revealed that at least 11 people are feared to have died in the worst British airshow disaster in living memory.
Barry also warned that the death toll could rise further still, and that the removal of the bodies would continue on Sunday and possibly into Monday. A crane will be brought in to lift the wreckage of the aircraft tomorrow, when police fear more bodies may be discovered. Police are continuing the task of sifting through the wreckage left after a Hawker Hunter fighter jet crashed into a busy dual carriageway in West Sussex on Saturday, after an attempted loop went wrong.
“This has been an enormously traumatic incident and our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected, from those who have suffered bereavement, to those in the local community, who are deeply shocked,” Barry said. Investigators were keeping “an open mind” about who had been involved in the crash as they continued to receive calls from concerned friends and relatives. A crane is expected to lift the wreckage of the aircraft on Monday, when police fear more bodies may be discovered.
Barry said: “The scene itself is incredibly large. A lot of specially trained officers are sifting, as we speak, so we do need to keep an open mind, but from what we have seen at this stage it is possible that we will find more fatalities.” Two young footballers and a personal trainer have been named among the victims, but anxious family members and friends continue to wait for news of others who have been killed.
Related: Plane's age will not be to blame for Shoreham air show crash, expert claimsRelated: Plane's age will not be to blame for Shoreham air show crash, expert claims
The announcement of another four deaths came as Shoreham residents gathered to mourn the victim of the crash on Sunday. Matthew Grimstone, 23, and Jacob Schilt, players at non-league Worthing United, were among those who died, with local reports saying they were on their way to a match against Loxwood FC when they were caught up in the incident. Sussex police assistant chief constable Steve Barry said there were 11 people they were treating as “highly likely” to have died, but they could not yet formally identify any of the dead.
Grimstone’s family said he was “the kindest person you could ever meet, with a great wit”. His parents, Sue and Phil, and brothers, David and Paul, paid an emotional tribute: “The family are in total shock at losing our dearest son Matthew so tragically at 23 years old. He was the kindest person you could ever meet, with a great wit. In his 23 years we can honestly say he never lost his temper.” Barry also warned that the death toll could rise further. “This has been an enormously traumatic incident and our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected, from those who have suffered bereavement, to those in the local community, who are deeply shocked,” he said. Investigators were keeping “an open mind” about who had been involved in the crash as they continued to receive calls from concerned friends and relatives.
Matt Jones, a 24-year-old personal trainer from Littlehampton, West Sussex, was also among the victims, his sister said on Facebook. She wrote: “Thank you to everyone who has messaged me. We are devastated to say Matt Jones was one of the fatalities.” Barry said: “The scene itself is incredibly large. A lot of specially trained officers are sifting, as we speak, so we do need to keep an open mind, but from what we have seen at this stage it is possible that we will find more fatalities.”
At a memorial service for the victims at St Mary De Haura church in the West Sussex town, many had been personally touched by Saturday’s events after a Hawker Hunter jet plummeted to the ground. Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, both 23, players at non-league Worthing United, were among those who died, with reports saying they were on their way to a match against Loxwood FC when they were caught up in the incident.
Mourners packed into the service, during which they held a minute’s silence and said prayers for the victims and their families. Among the congregation were Jamie McKenzie, 26, and Brad Stevens, 18, who were in full Worthing kit to pay their respects to their team-mate Grimstone and Schilt. Grimstone’s family said he was “the kindest person you could ever meet, with a great wit”. His parents, Sue and Phil, and brothers, David and Paul, paid tribute, saying: “The family are in total shock at losing our dearest son Matthew so tragically at 23 years old. He was the kindest person you could ever meet, with a great wit. In his 23 years we can honestly say he never lost his temper.”
McKenzie said they were devastated by the news. “We’ve been training with them for a couple of months. They were really nice guys. It’s a close club. We’ve only just joined but they were very welcoming.” Matt Jones, a 24-year-old personal trainer from Littlehampton, was also on the A27 when the vintage aircraft plunged from the sky, with his sister confirming he too had been killed.
The pair said Grimstone and Schilt were in a car on the A27, on their way to a 3pm kickoff. Stevens said they heard the news via word of mouth. “It’s hit the town really hard. Everyone’s heard about it.” The driver of a vintage wedding limousine, the rider of a motorbike and two cyclists are also feared dead, but police have said that emergency services are finding it difficult to identify victims owing to the ferocity of the blast.
The pilot of the Hawker Hunter jet, who also flies for British Airways, remains in a critical condition after being pulled from the wreckage and airlifted to Royal Sussex hospital. Andy Hill, a 51-year-old former RAF instructor with more than 12,000 hours of flying experience, is a skilled aerobatic flyer and a regular at airshows, said fellow pilot, who flew earlier in the show.
“Andy Hill was a British Airways captain and very well thought of,” David Wildridge told the Chichester Observer. “He is a highly experienced pilot, well-known and well-loved. He is highly professional and it is totally unusual for this to happen. He was a Harrier pilot in the air force. They are the top RAF pilots – the best of the best.”
Police and rescue services have struggled to complete the clearance of the large crash site, which stretches for more than 360 metres, which was described as “hazardous” because of the amount of fuel still on the plane.
Both police and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) are continuing to investigate the crash andare urging anyone with photos or footage to get in contact.
Aviation experts on Sunday said it was unlikely that the age of the jet, reportedly from the 1950s, was a factor in the crash.
“The chance of the airplane coming down actually on a road is horrifically unlikely,” said David Learmount, a former RAF flying instructor and consulting editor of Flightglobal magazine. “We have actually got footage right down to the point of impact. A wing didn’t fall off. It’s a misjudgment.”
Aviation expert Julian Bray said the pilot may have made a misjudg ment. “The aircraft should have been 500ft above the ground and it certainly wasn’t,” he said. “The other possibility is the engine actually flamed out at one point and the pilot was trying to restart it while he was doing the loop.”
The announcement of a greater number of deaths than had previously been thought came as Shoreham residents gathered to mourn the victims of the crash on Sunday.
Related: Shoreham plane crash: police say more bodies may be foundRelated: Shoreham plane crash: police say more bodies may be found
Tracy Stevens, 38, of Shoreham, was also at the church service with her footballer son. She said her partner had had a lucky escape while driving on the A27. “My partner called to say he’d just gone past and it [the plane] had crashed behind him. He saw it in the mirror. He was very lucky.” She described the atmosphere in Shoreham on Sunday as quiet and eerie. At a memorial service for the victims at St Mary De Haura church in the West Sussex town, many had been personally touched by Saturday’s event.
The church service took place amid a torrential downpour, a far cry from the blazing hot weather on Saturday. But even when the sun came out on Sunday afternoon, Shoreham-by-sea remained eerily quiet on what is usually a festive weekend for the town.
Mourners packed into the service, during which they held a minute’s silence and said prayers for the victims and their families. Father Paul Rupton said there was a tremendous sadness in the community. “You have to be honest with people and say ‘I don’t know why these terrible things happen’,” he said. “Hopefully people will go away feeling that they have been supported by the church.”
Claire Mulcare, 35, was at the memorial service with her three-year-old son. They had been at the airshow. “We saw the plane ascending, we turned our backs for a minute, we didn’t hear anything, just saw a huge amount of smoke and everything went quiet.”Claire Mulcare, 35, was at the memorial service with her three-year-old son. They had been at the airshow. “We saw the plane ascending, we turned our backs for a minute, we didn’t hear anything, just saw a huge amount of smoke and everything went quiet.”
She said she usually attended another church but decided to come to St Mary De Haura because of the memorial service. “We just wanted to pay our respects. It could have been us. We were 500 metres away.” Tracy Stevens, 38, of Shoreham, was at the church service with her footballer son. She said her partner had had a lucky escape while driving on the A27. “My partner called to say he’d just gone past and it [the plane] had crashed behind him. He saw it in the mirror. He was very lucky.”
Mulcare, from Shoreham, added that a friend had been travelling on the A27 at the time the plane crashed and she had been unable to get hold of her, but was hoping she had not been caught up in the crash. Local MP Tim Loughton said it was a “really tragic event” but cautioned against “kneejerk” decisions about the show’s future amid concerns expressed in the aftermath of the crash about its location in the heart of a residential area.
Related: Shoreham air show disaster – in picturesRelated: Shoreham air show disaster – in pictures
Father Paul Rupton said there were dozens more people than at the usual at his Sunday service. The local MP, Tim Loughton, was among those present. Worthing United said the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the club were with those whose families and friends were killed or injured.
Rupton said there was a tremendous sadness in the community. “You have to be honest with people and say ‘I don’t know why these terrible things happen’,” he said. “Hopefully people will go away feeling that they have been supported by the church.”
Carson Albury, the chairman of Adur district council, said the community was in a state of shock. “It has really touched everyone and I really feel for the people who were at the airport yesterday and saw the event take place and of course the families of those affected,” he said. “All these occasions like this show that the community is very robust and it brings everyone together.”
Worthing United said the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the club were with those whose families and friends were killed or injured. It is understood Grimstone was a goalkeeper, and Schilt played in midfield.
Update. pic.twitter.com/T8agevOfmKUpdate. pic.twitter.com/T8agevOfmK
Team-mate Dean Gilmour paid tribute to Schilt and Grimstone on Twitter:Team-mate Dean Gilmour paid tribute to Schilt and Grimstone on Twitter:
RIP Jacob Shilts & Matthew Grimstone-two absolute gents, taken away from us so early in life you will never be forgotten!! Love you boysRIP Jacob Shilts & Matthew Grimstone-two absolute gents, taken away from us so early in life you will never be forgotten!! Love you boys
A fellow player, tweeting as markiovelli, added:A fellow player, tweeting as markiovelli, added:
Devastated to have lost 2 team mates and wonderful Ppl it was a privilege to share a pitch with you. My Heart goes out to your families RIPDevastated to have lost 2 team mates and wonderful Ppl it was a privilege to share a pitch with you. My Heart goes out to your families RIP
I have 4 medals I am most proud of, wouldn't have any of them without you. Numb. #rip Matt Grimstone and Jacob Schilt No words....I have 4 medals I am most proud of, wouldn't have any of them without you. Numb. #rip Matt Grimstone and Jacob Schilt No words....
Airshow visitors, who were told to leave their cars at the event, began picking up their vehicles on Sunday. Police, however, said it was still not possible to remove vans, people carriers and other similar sized vehicles because of a height restriction on the route away from the airport. Motorists are being urged to avoid the A27 in the Shoreham area while investigations continue.
It is understood the Hawker Hunter that crashed belonged to Graham Peacock, an Essex businessman who is head of the Malthurst Group and worth an estimated £50m. The jet, which is usually kept at North Weald airfield, had passed through the hands of several private owners before he bought it in 2012 for £65,000. The advertisement described the aircraft as “an immaculate two-seater supersonic T7 which is flown on a regular basis, in excellent condition inside and out”.
The pilot of the aircraft, named in reports as Andy Hill, who worked for British Airways, is understood to be in a critical condition in hospital.