G-forces not strong enough to stop Shoreham air disaster pilot from flying his jet safely
G-forces would not have been strong enough to stop Shoreham air disaster pilot from flying his jet safely, Civil Aviation Authority experts say over crash that killed 11
- No evidence pilot Andy Hill was impaired by G Force when flying in Shoreham
- He previously said he was cognitively impaired while performing manoeuvre
- Eleven people died on the A27 after Mr Hill’s plane exploded into a ball of fire
- Mr Hill was acquitted of 11 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence at trial
G-forces would not have been strong enough to stop the Shoreham Airshow disaster pilot from flying his jet safely, experts have claimed over the crash that killed 11.
There was no evidence to show pilot Andy Hill was at risk of cognitive impairment when his vintage jet crashed on August 22, 2015, according to a Civil Aviation Authority report.
Mr Hill has said he was not in full control of his actions when he completed a loop manoeuvre. He said the G-force in his 1950s Hawker Hunter impaired his brain function, stopping him from making the right decisions.
His plane exploded into a ball of fire when it landed on the A27.
The Civil Aviation Authority ‘Enquiry into the Risk of Cognitive Impairment Due to G Forces’ is described as a review into the safety risk from cognitive impairment in pilots experiencing low level G forces.
There was no evidence to show pilot Andy Hill (pictured outside court last year) was at risk of cognitive impairment when his vintage jet crashed on August 22, 2015, according to a Civil Aviation Authority report
Mr Hill has said he was not in full control of his actions when he completed a loop manoeuvre. Pictured, moments before landing on the motorway
A panel of experts said: ‘The Review Team has concluded that there is no identifiable risk of cognitive impairment in civil pilots experiencing G forces at levels, and for durations recorded by accident investigators as having been experienced by the Shoreham pilot.’
Mr Hill was acquitted of 11 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence following an Old Bailey trial in March last year.
The CAA expert report concluded there was no evidence to suggest cognitive effects can be demonstrated at low levels of G force when experienced for the short period of time associated with aerobatic displays.
‘The overwhelming weight of available scientific evidence does not show any demonstrable, practical and meaningful cognitive impairments under +4 G that would point to impaired flight safety.’
The stretch of road became a fireball after the plane slammed down minutes into the show
The plane came down on the A27 after attempting a loop-the-loop near the south coast town
Mr Hill survived the crash with minor injuries after he was ejected from the burning wreck and into nearby brambles.
Jacob Schilt, 23, was travelling to a football match with his Worthing United FC team when he was killed.
His mother Caroline Schilt said: ‘The families were given a summary on Tuesday, so we’ve had a chance to digest it.
‘We couldn’t imagine it would have come differently, but it’s good to see it in black and white.’
The families want Go-Pro footage from the plane to be used at the inquest, and plan to apply to the High Court for permission to have the camera footage released to the coroner.
Footage filmed by spectators showed the 1950s Hawker Hunter seconds before the crash
‘We want to get the footage because we feel it is vital for the inquest,’ Mrs Schilt said.
The inquest into the deaths of 11 men who died when the vintage jet crash landed is expected to be held in September 2021.
The full inquest was due to be heard in September this year after the Air Accidents Investigation Branch confirmed it would not be reopening their investigation.
Coronavirus lockdown pushed the start date back to September 2021 at the earliest, six years after the crash.
The coroner for West Sussex apologised to the families for continuing delays.
Senior coroner for West Sussex, Penelope Schofield told the families in January: ‘Can I say to the families, you have been incredibly patient.’
During another pre inquest hearing the coroner ruled the inquest will be heard without a jury.
Who were the 11 victims of the 2015 Shoreham air disaster?
Maurice Abrahams
Maurice Abrahams, 76:
Chauffeur Mr Abrahams, from Brighton, was en route in his classic Daimler to collect bride Rebecca Sheen and take her to her wedding when the plane crashed.
A former police officer with Hampshire Constabulary, he was an ex-member of the Grenadier Guards and Parachute Regiment, and had served in Cyprus and Bahrain with the UN.
In his later years, he enjoyed working for East Sussex-based Chariots Chauffeurs as well as gardening.
His funeral was held at St Margaret’s Church in Rottingdean, where he had driven brides to their weddings countless times.
Married to Edwina, Mr Abrahams had a son, Eddie, and daughter Lizzie.
Graham Mallinson
James Graham Mallinson, known as Graham, 72:
Retired engineer Mr Mallinson, from Newick, near Lewes, had gone to Shoreham to photograph one of the last Vulcan bomber flights.
Relatives said he was kind and generous with a ‘great sense of humour’.
He was a private and loving family man, they added.
A lifetime member of the Bluebell Railway in East Sussex, married father Mr Mallinson had recently developed an interest in photographing vintage aircraft.
Father-of-six Mark Trussler
Mark Trussler, 54:
Father-of-six Mr Trussler, a window cleaner from Worthing, had taken his motorbike for a spin on the day of the tragedy as he had also wanted to see the Vulcan flight.
While in Shoreham, he texted his fiancee Giovanna Chirico telling her to get the children ready so they could take them out for lunch on his return home.
She told him she loved him and his last words to her were, ‘I love you too, forever’.
A motorbike and rugby fan, he was also described as a doting father.
Tony Brightwell, 53:
Health care manager Mr Brightwell, from Hove, was indulging his twin passions of planes and cycling when tragedy struck.
His fiancee Lara watched him cycle off to watch one of the last Vulcan bomber flights, ‘but he never came home’, she said.
Mr Brightwell gained his private pilot licence at Shoreham, loved food and cooking, and admired Second World War pilots.
Dylan Archer, 42, and Richard Smith, 26:
IT consultant Mr Archer, a father of two who lived in Brighton, and Mr Smith, who lived in Hove, were due to meet up with a third friend to head out for a cycle ride in the South Downs.
Mr Archer, who grew up in the Midlands, had a lifelong passion for bikes and cars, and rode the bike he made himself on the day he died.
Dylan Archer and Richard Smith were due to meet up with a third friend to go on a cycle ride when they were killed in the Shoreham tragedy
After going to university in Birmingham, Buckinghamshire-raised Mr Smith worked in a bicycle shop in Cosham, Portsmouth.
He later moved to Hove where he worked in marketing and web development at ActSmart, a firm that specialises in providing advice to the cycle industry.
Mark Reeves, 53:
Computer-aided design technician Mr Reeves, from Seaford, near Eastbourne, had parked his motorbike to take photographs of planes when the crash happened.
A grandfather, relatives described him as a ‘sun worshipper’ who would often be seen relaxing with a cocktail in hand on holiday.
His family said he was combining two favourite hobbies of riding his cherished Honda bike to take photographs at the air show.
Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, both 23:
The two Worthing United footballers were travelling together in a car to a 3pm home game against Loxwood FC when they were caught up in the crash.
Mr Grimstone’s parents Sue and Phil and brothers David and Paul called him the ‘kindest person you could ever meet’.
Team-mates said Mr Schilt was a ‘tenacious midfielder’ with an eye for a goal.
Mr Grimstone had also worked at Brighton & Hove Albion for seven years, most recently as a groundsman at the Lancing training ground.
Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, both 23, were travelling to Worthing United to play in a home game against Loxwood FC when they were caught up in the crash
Matt Jones, 24, and Daniele Polito, 23:
Father Daniele Polito, from Worthing, was travelling in the same car as personal trainer Matt Jones when tragedy struck.
Mr Polito’s mother Leslye Polito said on the first anniversary of the disaster that the previous 12 months had failed to ease her loss.
A keen DJ, Mr Jones had reportedly recently returned to the UK from living in Australia.
Matt Jones and Daniele Polito both died in the same car
