Key events following Shoreham Airshow disaster

The inquest into the 11 deaths has concluded, more then seven years after the incident in August 2015.
Andrew Hill was in the cockpit of the Hawker Hunter plane when it crashed at Shoreham Airshow (PA)
PA Wire
Katie Boyden20 December 2022
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

The 11 men who died following a plane crash at the Shoreham Airshow in 2015 were unlawfully killed, a coroner has concluded.

The inquest into the disaster concluded on Tuesday, more than seven years after a vintage jet crashed on to the A27 motorway during an aerobatic display.

Here is a timeline of key dates following the incident:

2015

– August 22: A Hawker Hunter plane piloted by Andrew Hill crashes on to the A27 as he attempts a “bent loop” aerobatic manoeuvre at the Shoreham Airshow. Eleven people are killed and 13 more are injured.

– September 2: The inquest into the 11 deaths opens.

2017

– March: An Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report concludes the crash could have been avoided and was caused by pilot error when Mr Hill began the manoeuvre too low to the ground and that the plane’s entry speed and thrust were too low.

2018

– The inquest is adjourned due to the upcoming criminal trial of Mr Hill. He faces 11 charges of manslaughter by gross negligence in March, pleading not guilty on May 15.

2019

– Mr Hill’s trial begins in January. He is found not guilty of all charges in March.

– The inquest resumes following the conclusion of the criminal trial.

2020

– September: Inquest hearings scheduled to begin this month are postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

2021

– April 26: Senior coroner Penelope Schofield applies to the High Court for access to material from the criminal trial of Mr Hill. This material has protected status under air accident investigation regulations.

2022

– February: The full inquest, which is set to begin this month, is postponed.

– February 4: The High Court refuses Ms Schofield’s application for access to the cockpit video of the crash flight and other material from the criminal trial of the pilot.

– September: A pre-inquest review is held in County Hall, Horsham. Mr Hill requests a verdict of unlawful killing is ruled out, which Ms Schofield declines.

– December 1: The full inquest into the 11 deaths begins and coroner Ms Schofield apologies to the families for their long wait.

– December 20: The inquest ends with coroner Ms Schofield concluding they were unlawfully killed.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in