Hawker Hunter Crash in Uk Airshow.

Shoreham.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_2793255407&feature=iv&src_vid=Hxge8Caa9i8&v=5gcwFqbgzPE

 

Nasty crash. It came down on a line of traffic; 7 fatalities with more possible. 😢

 

Tragic.

 

So what happened, did he misjudge the altitude or have a flame out?

 

You can't go lower than ground level.

 

Starting a full loop at low altitude in an old jet doesn't seem like a great idea.
I kept hoping to see him roll over into a pretty 1/2 Cuban 8 but alas...

Low level aerobatics are risky even in modern jets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dohKKp0EvTs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFSSJSFtd2k

 

It looks like he didn't have quite enough altitude. The maneuver was essentially complete when he mushed into the ground.

 

Fatalities up to 11, more expected. Pilot pulled from wreckage and it still alive at the moment.

Warning: link below is full of photos and video.
Shoreham Airshow plane crash crashed on dual carriageway and exploded | Daily Mail Online

 

It won't be long before airshows are banned. I frankly think it would be a terrible thing but you can see the handwriting on the wall. Just look at the comments in the DailyMail section.

There was another single plane crash today in Switzerland killing the pilot in an airshow.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The comments in that article are pretty brutal. But it's true that it was a pretty stupid mistake on this pilots part and things like this ruin it for the rest of us.

 

A bit early to criticise the pilot.....

It gets worse though. The BBC are saying the death toll may rise to 20 this morning once the wreckage is moved.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I'm always the one saying that exact thing but......

The video is pretty telling. Also reading the pilot had almost zero time in the Hunter. Even if there was some sort of malfunction...... Doing a stunt show over a populated area in an old military jet just has negligent written all over it.

Of course we all need to wait on the investigation. Just talking about it for now.

 

Having participated in quite a few airshows back in the 60's-70's I could see how good or bad the event director was in controlling the show. Hands down, the best run show was the Abottsford show. Every morning there was a pilot briefing before the show started, rigid timing schedules were set, and event perimeters were established. All maneuvers were to be over the airfield and within the confines of it. No flights were to come at the crowd and were to stay over the show line set parallel to the crowd . No maneuvers would be allowed that the event chief hadn't approved before the show. There were several crashes and fatalities over the years but impact was on the airfield and a good distance from the crowd. Control and discipline is foremost.

 

+1

 

I was once at the air museum at Willow Run airport in Michigan on the day before an airshow. The Blue Angels were to practice their routine, and I noticed that while they were flying, the roads bordering the airport were closed off to traffic. They do the same thing in Seattle with the I-90 floating bridge. And the last time I went to the airshow at Andrews AFB, the road bordering the north side of the base was closed during all fast jet routines.

Maybe the British should have just closed the road during the jet routines?

 

I forgot to mention that any deviation, like a time overrun or excursion outside the perimeter of the maneuvering box, earned you a suspension from the next day(s) performance. They had the performer's time scheduled down to minutes and seconds and I remember on very short final passing over the runoff area of the active and catching a glimpse the next performing airplane pulling out as I passed over. It really was a lot of fun and enjoyable to be in that show and we had some great times there.

 

I wonder when the pilot realized he wasn't going to make it. I saw where the UK is now going to severely restrict these type of vintage aircraft.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/08/24/british-police-say-highly-likely-11-people-killed-in-airshow-crash-death-toll/?intcmp=hplnws

 

Accidents don't just "happen". You have to question the authorities who allowed stunt air traffic so close to a major road, the planning of the aerial maneuvers, the condition of gge aircraft, and the experience of this pilot in this plane or his experience in flying in airshows this close to the ground.

Banning airshows is not the answer anymore than banning car races after a tragedy.

 

From memory (and I don't recall the exact details but I'm pretty sure the information is out there somewhere) I believe that the RAF used to warn Hunter pilots that the Avon engine in the Hawker Hunter had a propensity to, shall we say, falter when the aircraft was being maneuvered in a manner similar to the Shoreham incident. Hopefully the AAIB report will bring out the full truth surrounding this incident.

On a side note I understand that the "Red Arrows" display team have always refused any and all continued requests to perform at Shoreham anything other than a straight fly-by with colored smoke due to the airfield location (especially the position of the main A27 road in relation to the Shoreham runway).

Such a tragedy all round.

 

Some very good points on this thread.
I think post Rammstein the rules around crowd line etc have been tightened up significantly and the UK is pretty safe for air displays.
A big issue that hasn't been mentioned is that a number of people will always try to watch the displays from off site.
There are some pics around that show the burning wreckage heading towards a group of spectators lined up along what appears to be the perimeter fence.
A couple of years back I cycled over to watch XH558 the Vulcan display at a local festival. We were viewing from a car park and were moved on. We moved onto the road and as this is public access they couldn't move us again.
We ended up right under the display and although spectacular to watch I was uncomfortable with it.
I fear this will be the case with some of the fatalities at Shoreham and will always be a risk that is impossible for the organisers to eliminate and the people taking it will probably not fully understand.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Comments, observations from the crash, from someone that knows the pilot...

Shoreham Airshow crash: Pilot Andy Hill was 'showing off' with 'lunatic' stunt | UK | News | Daily Express

 

This very same thing happened in a Spitfire several years ago. Not enough altitude to complete a loop and mushed into the ground. Hubris, ego, and "airshow enrapture" has done it many times. Any pilot should know how much altitude he should have to execute a loop. Spur of the moment maneuvers can be, and most of the time are, deadly. I have seen a few but there is one guy who has done unbelievable stuff in airshows without coming close to trouble because he stayed within his skill, pre-show plan, and parameters. Bob Hoover

 

Yes Mr. Parks, I was just thinking of Bob Hoover too... saw his Shrike routine years ago... amazing what he did AFTER shutting down both engines.

 

Quite often I would watch a show on-base away from the public crowds. I would not have the best seat in the house for the scripted show. I was gladly buzzed a few times. It was worth it.


Unfortunate event.

 

"It's actually quite difficult to pull up at 500ft - the chances are you'll recover at much less than 500ft. So coming in at 100ft is very dangerous. It certainly looks much better if you come in at 100ft."

From some of the videos of the crash I'm not sure an extra 400' of altitude would have been enough.

Brings to mind the B-52 crash 20 years ago by another hot shot pilot that ran out of talent/brains. That one could have easily resulted in a much larger death toll.