Shoreham fireball death crash pilot ‘was warned over his dangerous flying’
THE pilot of a jet which crashed in a massive fireball at an air show killing 11 people had been warned about his “dangerous” flying before, his trial heard yesterday.
Andrew Hill, 54, had been at the centre of a series of previous dramas where concerns were raised over his attitude to safety, the court was told.
Hill had been performing a loop manoeuvre at Shoreham Air Show, in West Sussex, in August 2015 when his 1950s Hawker Hunter jet fighter crashed on to the A27.
He suffered head injuries multiple rib fractures and placed in an induced coma.
But he was discharged from hospital fewer than three weeks after the crash and has since made a complete physical recovery, the court heard.
But six spectators and five others who were either travelling in cars or crossing the road on foot were killed in the fireball.
The Old Bailey heard the former RAF jet pilot had been reprimanded before because of his “dangerous” flying.
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The Civil Aviation Authority had reportedly once considered suspending his licence to perform at displays but instead placed him on a list of pilots under inspection.
After one of the incidents, he allegedly sent a text message to a friend which said: “One **** -up by me – suitably debriefed!”
Prosecutor Tom Kark QC said he had been known to take “risks” and had previously “flown in a way one would not expect a careful and competent fast jet display pilot to do”.
The court heard a display at the 2014 Southport Air Show in Merseyside was halted when he “performed a dangerous manoeuvre” which “took him far too close to the crowd”.
It reportedly led to the event’s flight director taking the “rare” step of immediately grounding him.
Mr Kark said: “This was a demonstration of Mr Hill taking a risk and playing fast and loose with the safety of those below his aircraft.
“This ought to have been a red light warning to him to plan his displays with great care.
“Unfortunately, on this occasion in 2015 at Shoreham, no one had time to call out a stop and his display ended in tragedy.”
The year before the tragedy, Hill breached his display permit during the 2014 show at Shoreham by flying over nearby public school Lancing College and the surrounding “congested area”, the jury was told.
It was a breach of permissions put in place to protect members of the public, the court heard.
On another occasion, during a practice display at Duxford, Cambridgeshire, in 2014, Hill was reportedly issued a warning by the control tower that he was breaching rules over crowd safety. He is also said to have flown over Duxford Museum, which was regarded infringement”.
The pilot later told police and believed his flying was affected by G-forces, it was said.
The revelations came as the jury was told the crash was caused by Hill’s “serious negligence” and pilot error was purely to blame for the disaster.
Yesterday, more than 20 relatives of the victims relived the horror of the disaster as harrowing footage as
a“serious was played in court. Videos captured by onlookers showed the moment Hill’s Hawker Hunter jet “disintegrated” on impact when it crashed into the A27 at nearly 260mph.
Hill looked away from the screen moments before the impact was shown.
The pilot, who was flying British Airways aircraft at the time of the tragedy, miraculously survived the crash after the cockpit broke away and he was hurled clear of the wreckage.
But 11 men were killed: Matt Jones, Matthew Grimstone, Jacob Schilt, Maurice Abrahams, Richard Smith, Mark Reeves, Tony Brightwell, Mark Trussler, Daniele Polito, Dylan Archer and Graham Mallinson.
Hill, of Sandon, Hertfordshire, denies 11 charges of manslaughter by gross negligence.
The trial continues.