Shock Inquests Open Over Shoreham Airshow Tragedy
The long-awaited inquests into the deadly Shoreham Airshow crash kick off today at County Hall North, Horsham.
Fatal Airshow Disaster That Shook the UK
On 22 August 2015, a former military jet plummeted during a thrill-seeking display at Shoreham Airport, killing 11 people and injuring 16 more. It remains the UK’s worst airshow disaster since the 1952 Farnborough tragedy, which claimed 31 lives.
The aircraft, a Hawker Hunter T7, failed spectacularly to complete a loop manoeuvre, crashing into vehicles on the busy A27 road. Pilot Andy Hill survived despite critical injuries.
Families Speak Out in Emotional Opening Days
The first two days of hearings will hear heartfelt family testimonies remembering those lost in the crash. The official evidence session starts on Monday, 5 December 2022.
Senior coroner Penelope Schofield stressed in a pre-inquest review on 1 September that the inquests won’t re-investigate the crash itself; they will rely on the evidence gathered by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Remembering the Victims
- Anthony David Brightwell, 53, Hove
- Daniele Gaetano Polito, 23, Goring-by-Sea
- Dylan Archer, 42, Brighton
- Jacob Henry Schilt, 23, Brighton
- James Graham Mallinson, 72, Newick
- Mark Alexander Reeves, 53, Seaford
- Mark James Trussler, 54, Worthing
- Matthew Grimstone, 23, Brighton
- Matthew Wesley Jones, 24, Littlehampton
- Maurice Rex Abrahams, 76, Brighton
- Richard Jonathan Smith, 26, Hove
