Shoreham Incident

[plmc135]

Being reported on BBC that pilot of Hunter has been acquitted of manslaughter

[johnwayne]

Being reported on BBC that pilot of Hunter has been acquitted of manslaughter

Think it was a bit more than an 'incident'

[Mark]

I guess at the end of the day it was a tragic accident, but I would think twice about attending a future airshow that Mr Hill was displaying at. I was on the Pier at Southport in 2013 and it was indeed a butt twitching experience!!

[Rob666]

I guess at the end of the day it was a tragic accident, but I would think twice about attending a future airshow that Mr Hill was displaying at. I was on the Pier at Southport in 2013 and it was indeed a butt twitching experience!!

Not sure he would get insurance to fly again, after other stuff that has been reported.

Rob

[slogen51]

I don't know all of the facts of the disaster and of course I wasn't in court but I feel this is a kick in the teeth for the victims families.

Pilot loss of memory is unfortunate for the families who just want the truth.

[Yammer]

Several of those who died were there watching and photographing the aircraft not unlikey many of the members here, others just driving along the A27 going about their own lives. I'm surprised by the verdict. It's possible the relatives may consider civil action.

The men who died

Matt Jones, a 24-year-old personal trainer

Daniele Polito, 23 was travelling in the same car as Mr Jones

Matthew Grimstone, 23, a Worthing United footballer who worked as a groundsman at Brighton & Hove Albion

Jacob Schilt, also 23 and also a Worthing United player, was travelling to a match with Mr Grimstone

Maurice Abrahams, 76, from Brighton, was a chauffeur on his way to pick up a bride on her wedding day

Friends Richard Smith, 26, and Dylan Archer, 42, who were going for a bike ride on the South Downs

Mark Reeves, 53, had ridden his motorcycle to the perimeter of Shoreham Airport to take photos of the planes

Tony Brightwell, 53, from Hove was an aircraft enthusiast and had learnt to fly at Shoreham airfield

Mark Trussler, 54, had gone to watch the display on his Suzuki motorbike and was standing next to the road

James "Graham" Mallinson, 72, from Newick, was a photographer and retired engineer

[Stroudy]

I would have thought it would have at least been manslaughter?

[Blackjack56]

I am not an expert just an aviation enthusiast like most on this forum but from day one i thought it was pilot error,of course he didn't set out to kill those poor people but this verdict is not justice for the families of the victims,surely they can lodge an appeal?.

[Mark]

Reports state he blacked out due to G-Lock?, how can anyone be found guilty of manslaughter in that situation?

[slogen51]

A civil case where the burden of proof is less stringent ( i.e not beyond all reasonable doubt) is probably being considered

It is disappointing the defendant does not appear to have have fully cooperated with the police in that he , according to the media, only made 'no comment' answers to questions and only provided a written statement at a later date. I would have thought as a pilot with an interest in aviation safety he would want to know how he went so badly wrong. He said he must have been mentally incapacitated , while pulling G , in a G-Suit.

[Ghost from above]

Should pull his certificate to display and now limit the type of aircraft he can fly. No more jets therefore no chance of blackouts again.Just saying.

[Alfie]

I for one hope this is the end of the whole sorry issue. I am sure no display pilot sets out to endanger life. I am sorry for the loss of life but fatal accidents happen everyday, but in this day and age everybody is putting to put the blame on somebody shoulders, sometimes to shift blame and sometimes more out of greed so huge sums in compensation can be paid out. Also please don't get me started on freeloaders who can't be bothered to pay to enter an event but just take photographs outside in uncontrolled areas.

[Thunder]

I for one hope that this isn’t the end. There are 11 dead people and 11 families out there that want justice. As for your freeloader remark, really!! Are you saying that they deserved to die, remember that most of those that died did so having no part or interest in the show. Yes accidents happen all the time, however accidents don’t just happen, there is build up of events leading to the point of no return take any one of them out of the sequence then the accident doesn’t happen. This accident was in the making over several years, the evidence is/was there to prove that.

Pull his licence full stop! Over the years he has shown that he has no regard to the various safety infringements he’s made, not once but on several occasions. We are all prone to making mistakes however he never learned from his which he should’ve seeing the business he’s in. Questions should’ve been asked after Southport then maybe just maybe Shoreham wouldn’t have happened.

I think we all know that he didn’t set out to kill those innocent people, after all that would’ve been murder. I’ve been following the case loosely and I can’t believe he has been found not guilty. His whole ignorance towards the dreadful event speaks volumes in my opinion.

[Rob666]

Also please don't get me started on freeloaders who can't be bothered to pay to enter an event but just take photographs outside in uncontrolled areas.

In this case a number taking no interest in the Airshow, would not class them as so called "Freeloaders".

[Alfie]

Thunder you say you have been following the case, but if that has been through the UK press and media please don't forget they will only report on the sensational bits not the whole story and unless you have been able to read full transcripts of the whole trial you will never see the whole story. The freeloader remark means they were standing in an uncontrolled and would have had to bear the consequences of anything untoward happening which in the case unfortunately did.

[lambo1784]

He was too low coming across the airfield,cannot see that the g force excuse came into it till when he pulled up,but even then it was not a very steep climb or not even very fast as some jets climb.
I was in the crowd and it was obvious to all of us watching that he was too low and too slow and should not have started tbe climb.Thank god to some extend that he swung right and not left into the crowd and that the pub was no more which used to have hundereds on the grass area where he came down watching the show.
No justice for those killed and hope there is further action,maybe some sort of civil case against him by the relatives.

John in Seaford

[Campbell89]

Thunder you say you have been following the case, but if that has been through the UK press and media please don't forget they will only report on the sensational bits not the whole story and unless you have been able to read full transcripts of the whole trial you will never see the whole story. The freeloader remark means they were standing in an uncontrolled and would have had to bear the consequences of anything untoward happening which in the case unfortunately did.

I don’t think the poor people that died travelling down the road adjacent to the air show were ‘freeloading’.