History of the Flight
The Hawker Hunter T7, registration G-BXFI, was scheduled to perform an aerobatic display at the Royal Air Forces Association airshow at Shoreham Airport in West Sussex. The pilot, who held an Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence, had flown his light aircraft to North Weald Airfield where the Hunter was based. A Daily Inspection had been carried out the previous afternoon, and the pilot performed a pre-flight inspection and signed the Technical Log with no reported defects. The aircraft was refuelled to full. The pilot was described as being in good spirits and looking forward to the flight.
Weather conditions at departure were good: surface wind 150° at 14 kt, no cloud below 5,000 ft, visibility more than 10 km, temperature 28°C, QNH 1014 hPa. Engine start was normal; the aircraft took off from Runway 02 with a tailwind of approximately 8 kt. The takeoff run was longer than usual, likely due to ambient conditions. The flight to Shoreham was uneventful.
After descending to 1,000 ft amsl, the aircraft performed a left orbit offshore near Brighton between 2,300 ft and 2,500 ft amsl. The pilot was cleared to commence the display and flew along the coast towards the airfield. At 1220 hrs, Shoreham Airport reported wind 120° at 12 kt, no significant cloud, visibility more than 10 km, temperature 24°C, QNH 1013 hPa.
The pilot flew parallel to the coast in a gradual descent, at one point inverted, possibly to check for loose articles in the cockpit. After rolling upright, he descended to 800 ft amsl and turned right to line up with the display line west of Runway 02/20. A gentle climbing right turn to 1,600 ft amsl was followed by a Derry turn (a 270° roll opposite to the turn direction) to the left, then a descending left turn to 200 ft amsl, approaching the display line at about 45°. The aircraft then pitched up into a manoeuvre with both a vertical component and a roll to the left, becoming nearly fully inverted at the apex at approximately 2,600 ft amsl. During the descent, the nose was raised but the aircraft did not achieve level flight before striking the westbound carriageway of the A27 at its junction with Old Shoreham Road.
Aircraft Information
The Hawker Hunter T7 is a single-engine advanced military jet trainer. G-BXFI was built in 1955 as a single-seat aircraft and modified to a two-seat trainer in 1959. Both seats had ejection seats. It retired from military service in 1997 and was transferred to the civilian register. The aircraft operated on a CAA-issued Permit to Fly, valid until 10 March 2016. No technical defects were recorded. The aircraft and its two under-wing tanks were fully fuelled. Ground crew reported normal pre-flight checks and engine start; ejection seat safety pins were removed before departure.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 51, had 14,249 total flying hours (40 on type). He held a European Union Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence and a valid Class 1 Medical Certificate. A United Kingdom CAA Display Authorisation allowed him to display the Hawker Hunter to a minimum height of 100 ft for flypasts and 500 ft for Standard category aerobatics. He had met the requirement to fly three full display sequences within the prior 90 days, including one on the display aircraft.
Accident Site and Wreckage
The aircraft crashed onto the westbound carriageway of the A27 near the junction with Old Shoreham Road and Coombes Road, close to the northern perimeter of Shoreham Airport. During impact, the aircraft struck vehicles and persons around the road junction, as well as traffic light stanchions, road signs, and a crash barrier. The aircraft was destroyed.
Injuries
The pilot sustained serious injuries. Eleven people on the ground suffered fatal injuries.
Investigation
The AAIB initiated a field investigation. The aircraft was not fitted with a flight recorder. Radar data from Pease Pottage and Heathrow recorded a maximum altitude of 2,600 ft amsl during the final manoeuvre. Audio recordings of air traffic control communications and cockpit video from two cameras are being analysed. Initial findings indicate the minimum air speed was approximately 100 KIAS while inverted at the top of the manoeuvre. The investigation continues.