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Shoreham Air Show crash: Footage from cockpit shows aircraft showed 'no abnormalities' during fatal flight Shoreham Air Show crash: Footage from cockpit shows aircraft showed 'no abnormalities' during flight
(4 months later)
Footage from the cockpit of the vintage jet which crashed at the Shoreham Air Show has revealed there were no abnormalities on the aircraft during the fight, according to investigators. Footage from cockpit cameras in the vintage jet involved in the Shoreham disaster has revealed the aircraft showed “no abnormal indications” during the flight, according to air crash investigators.
Some 11 people were killed when the 1950s Hawker Hunter plummeted onto the A27 in West Sussex on 22 August, as pilot Andrew Hill tried to complete a loop-the-loop stunt. The interim report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) also noted that the video showed the 1950s Hawker Hunter jet “appeared to be responding to the pilot's control inputs”.
The disaster raised questions about the safety of air shows and prompted changes to the organisation of similar events in the UK. Eleven people died when the plane plummeted on to the A27 in West Sussex during the Shoreham Airshow on August 22.
An interim report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has since said that “no abnormal indications” were apparent during the flight, and that the aircraft “appeared to be responding to the pilot's control inputs". The jet failed to pull out of a loop-the-loop stunt before crashing on to the road, exploding into a fireball.
Prior to the fatal flight, which left the pilot in a critical condition, Hill “was in good spirits” and did not report any defects after he carried out a pre-flight inspection at the from North Weald Airfield, Essex, before he headed to Shoreham Airport. The pilot, Andrew Hill, was left fighting for his life and has been moved to a specialist hospital for treatment.
Detailing the impact to the plane during the crash, investigators said that the pilot and his seat were thrown from the cockpit as the aircraft hit the ground. The AAIB said the plane went into the manoeuvre at 200 feet.
However, it remains unclear if this was because of an attempted ejection on the part of the pilot or because of the impact of the crash. David Learmount, a former pilot and RAF flying instructor, claimed the crash would not have happened if the plane had started at a higher altitude.
The report also uncovered the fact that the vintage jet was not fitted with a flight recorder, but there were two cameras were mounted within the cockpit. He told the Press Association: “When you go into a vertical manoeuvre you tend to go out of it in the same height you go in, but it's easy to come out of it slightly lower - you don't have to take much of a misjudgement to do that.
As investigators continue their assessment, they will analyse the "large amount" of video and photographs of the aircraft from various locations around Shoreham Airport. This could determine the parameters of the jet's manoeuvres, including flight path and speed. “If you go into it low you have reduced the room for error.”
Following the crash, the majority of the wreckage has been recovered and sent to the AAIB's headquarters in Farnborough, Hampshire, but search teams are continuing to search for some small pieces of the plane. Mr Learmount, who is consulting editor of Flightglobal online magazine, added: “If he had been 500 feet when he entered the manoeuvre and done exactly the same thing 11 people would be alive today.”
As an inquest into the disaster was opened on Wedneday, the final victim of the crash was named as James Mallinson, 72, a retired engineer from Newick near Lewes. The AAIB found that the pilot and his seat were thrown from the cockpit as the plane hit the ground. The investigation has not yet determined whether this was caused by an attempted ejection or the impact of the crash.
The inquest into their deaths has been adjourned to a date yet to be fixed, The Telegraph reported. According to the interim report the Hawker Hunter was not fitted with a flight recorder but there were two “image recording cameras” mounted within the cockpit.
Additional reporting by PA One was located between the two seats, giving a partial view of the pilot and instrument panel, as well as a view through the cockpit canopy and windscreen.
The report stated: “To date no abnormal indications have been identified.
“Throughout the flight, the aircraft appeared to be responding to the pilot's control inputs.”
The other camera was mounted at the base of the windscreen looking over the nose.
The preliminary report noted that investigators have received a “large amount” of video and photographs of the aircraft from various locations around Shoreham Airport, where the airshow was taking place.
Many of these are in high definition and will be analysed in a bid to determine the parameters of the jet's manoeuvres, including flight path and speed.
The AAIB said the pilot carried out a pre-flight inspection before taking off from North Weald Airfield, Essex, to fly to Shoreham and there were “no reported defects”.
The document added: “The pilot was described as being in good spirits and looking forward to the flight.”
Most of the aircraft wreckage has been recovered and sent to the AAIB's headquarters in Farnborough, Hampshire. Work continues to locate some small pieces of the plane.
The victims have been named as retired engineer James Graham Mallinson, 72, from Newick, near Lewes; window cleaner and general builder Mark Trussler, 54, from Worthing; cycling friends 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; wedding chauffeur Maurice Abrahams, 76; and Daniele Polito, 23, from Worthing.
The inquest into their deaths was opened and adjourned at a hearing in Horsham on Wednesday.
PA