POLICE have insisted the pilot of the vintage jet that smashed into the A27 during the Shoreham Airshow is still not fit to be interviewed.

The force said three weeks ago (September 10) that officers were looking to interview Andy Hill “as soon as possible” after he was released from hospital but yesterday they said it had not yet happened as “his fitness for interview has not been confirmed”.

The statement was made after the 51-year-old was pictured for the first time since the crash that killed eleven men, appearing to have recovered physically, walking in a car park.

He was taken to hospital in a critical condition after being thrown clear of the fireball that engulfed his Hawker Hunter jet on August 22, and is understood to have been released a few weeks ago.

Relatives of the 11 men, all from Sussex, who were killed in the crash said yesterday he was likely to be traumatised even if physically ok and said they accept the time being taken to interview him.

Lizzie Abrahams, whose father, chauffeur Maurice Abrahams, 76, was killed on his way to pick up a bride, said: “He is probably quite traumatised and maybe he is not ready to be interviewed and confront the situation.

“I don’t think there’s a rule of how long the police should take to do it and I don’t doubt that the police are going to do it as soon as they can.

“The police have been really good and they have kept us updated throughout.”

Benn Slade, whose cousin Mark Trussler, 54,was killed while watching the airshow from the side of the road, said he believed Mr Hill would have “mental injuries”.

Referring to the picture of Mr Hill taken in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, he added: “Time for some empathy. He may not have visible scars. But the torment in his eyes is clear.”

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which is also investigating the crash, declined to say whether its investigators had yet interviewed Mr Hill, citing normal procedure not to provide public updates on investigations.

The AAIB investigation is looking at how the plane crashed, while police are looking into whether any crime had been committed to cause the crash. Both investigations are routine in such a situation.

The AAIB interim report found that the jet appeared to be responding to the pilot’s control , coming down on the road with its noise pointed upwards before breaking into several pieces.

Neil McCarthy, a friend of Mr Hill’s and a fellow display pilot, said he had heard the AAIB was due to produce another interim report into the crash within the next few weeks, something the AAIB again declined to confirm.

Speaking of Mr Hill’s recovery, Mr McCarthy added: “I have not spoken to him or his family, but have spoken to others who have. And physically, yes [he is ok], but mentally there is a lot of hurdles to overcome.”

He added it was possible a pilot in such a crash did not even yet remember what had happened, and it may be better for investigators to wait for further recovery.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Rymarz, leading the police investigation into the crash said, interviewing Mr Hill was "integral" to their investigation.

He added: "The families of the victims have been updated as to the reasons why the pilot has not yet been interviewed."