Witnesses to the Shoreham Airshow disaster have described their horror at seeing a “massive fireball” during the crash.
The inquest into their deaths continued on Monday, November 5, after a Hawker Hunter aircraft crashed during an aerial display on August 22, 2015, killing 11 men and injuring 13.
The pilot, Andrew Hill, was charged with 11 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence but found not guilty on all counts in March 2019. He maintains he has no memory of the crash.
The AAIB concluded the plane crashed because it began the manoeuvre too low to the ground and its entry speed and thrust was too low during a loop.
Neil Lewer, a bystander at the side of Old Shoreham Road with his family, said he was an air show enthusiast and had attended the Shoreham Airshow before.
He added: “I remember seeing the Hawker Hunter coming in above us when it started to pull up to begin the loop.
“I have experience of how a loop should look and I was thinking ‘he’s going to pull up in a second’, then ‘oh s***, he’s not going to pull up’.
“I could hear the ear-piercingly loud scream of the jet engine. I looked to my left as a fireball and wreckage went flying past us – it was hot and there was the smell of burning in an instant.
“It was about 25 feet to our right. I didn’t see anyone get taken out by the fireball and it almost instantaneously turned into thick black smoke.
“I looked for my family and the three of them were on the ground, my wife was shouting ‘get down’. I remember thinking ‘thank Christ they’re alright’.”
Dr Marianne Jackson, a GP who was attending the air show with her daughter, volunteered to help treat walking wounded after the crash.
She said: “I tried to treat an elderly man who had walked away with his son from his vehicle. His son told me he had a heart condition and he was clearly in shock but he refused medical help.”
Sergeant Christopher Bryant, a uniformed Sussex Police officer who was providing security at the event, said he felt “helpless” following the crash.
He said: “I was standing about 200 metres away from the fireball and I could see fire and smoke from two locations.
“The surreal silence I will never forget. I thought it might be part of the show until the commentator said the plane had crashed and gave his condolences to the pilot and his family.
“We were told to stay at our location but this felt wrong and we wanted to do more – we felt helpless. We requested to attend the scene.
“We were aware there was a serious incident but nothing could have prepared us for what we saw.
“I believe what I saw will have a lasting effect on me and my colleagues. It was devastating and upsetting.”
The inquest continues.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here