24 Aug 2015

Shoreham air crash: flying restrictions imposed by CAA

The Civil Aviation Authority says flying displays over land by vintage aircraft will be “significantly restricted until further notice” following the Shoreham crash.

The CAA made its announcement after Sussex Police said the death toll from the air crash could rise to as high as 20.

Displays by vintage jets over land will limited to flypasts, which means high energy acrobatics are banned.

A statement by the regulator said: “The CAA will conduct additional risk assessments on all forthcoming civil air displays to establish if additional measures should be introduced.”

On Saturday a Hawker Hunter jet plummeted on to the A27 after it failed to pull out of a loop manoeuvre during an aerial display, exploding in a huge fireball as it crashed into cars on the busy road.

With recovery of the wreckage of the aircraft expected to take place later on Monday, Sussex Police assistant chief constable Steve Barry said the number of dead could rise.

He said: “To give people a sense of scale and also the number of people we are trying to work with in terms of the movements of their loved ones, then I would be really surprised if it would be more than 20.”

Previous estimates by authorities said the death toll was “highly likely” to be 11.

The organisers of the airshow, the Royal Air Forces Association RAFA, have defended the event’s safety record saying “pilots and aircraft must meet rigorous safety requirements and are regularly reviewed to ensure they provide the highest possible levels of protection”.

Meanwhile the pilot involved in the air crash, named as former RAF instructor Andy Hill, was “unbelievably experienced” and his preparation for air displays was “second to none”.

Mr Hill, who is a highly experienced pilot, is now fighting for his life in hospital following the crash. In a statement, his family said they were “devastated and deeply saddened for the loss of life, and they send their prayers and heartfelt condolences to the families of all those affected at this difficult time”.

How did it happen?

Air accident investigators are still gathering evidence from the scene, and a preliminary report on what could have happened is not expected to be published for weeks. However, aviation experts have begun speculating on the cause of the accident:

G force blackout
Mr Hill may have blacked out during the loop-the-loop because of G-force effects. Although the aircraft appears to be pulling up moments before the crash, the pilot could have partially blacked out earlier in the manoeuvre.

False horizon
By performing the stunt so close to the coast, Mr Hill may have confused his horizons. When performing close to the sea on the clear day, there is a risk pilots can sometimes mix up the sea and the sky.

Pilot error
The jet, travelling at almost 400mph, seemingly pulls out of the loop too low, suggesting possible pilot error. Mr Hill is a skilled pilot with more than 12,000 hours of flying experience.

Aircraft fault
The 1955 Hawker Hunter T7, rebuilt in 1959, could have had an instrument error that led to the crash. However, aviation experts doubt that the age of the aircraft had anything to do with the crash.

George Bacon of the British Air Display Association told BBC Breakfast: “He was an unbelievably experienced chap. Very, very thorough and professional in the way he prepares for his displays.

“I think what we have to do with this is take a step back for a moment, it’s terribly tragic, and give time for the families to try and overcome this awful tragedy and then together we will work within the UK to see if we can find other ways of preventing this ever happening again. It was really quite extraordinary.”