2015 Shoreham Airshow crash

The 2015 Shoreham Airshow crash happened on a hot, sunny afternoon at Shoreham Airport in West Sussex. A Hawker Hunter T7 jet took off for its display as part of a two-day charity event for the Royal Air Forces Association. The aircraft had flown in from North Weald Airfield in Essex, where it was based under owner Graham Peacock. The pilot, Andy Hill, was an experienced aviator with over 12,000 flight hours, including time as a British Airways captain and RAF instructor. The show had already featured several acts, including The Blades aerobatic team and the RAF Falcons parachute team. The aircraft failed to complete a loop manoeuvre and struck the A27 road beside the airport. Eleven people on the ground were killed, including two footballers from Worthing United F.C., and sixteen others were injured. The crash destroyed eight vehicles, including a Daimler limousine heading to a wedding. Hill was thrown clear in the live ejector seat and survived with serious injuries. Investigators later found the manoeuvre began too low and too slow, leaving no margin for error. Emergency services arrived within 90 seconds, and the A27 was closed in both directions. The second day of the airshow was cancelled, and a tribute flypast was performed instead. A permanent memorial now stands near the Shoreham Tollbridge along the River Adur. New safety rules were introduced after the crash, restricting civilian vintage jet displays over land. The coroner ruled the victims were unlawfully killed, though Hill was found not guilty of manslaughter in 2019.