Hawker crash at airshow today

[hgtonyvi]

From that picture it looks like the pilot ejected and I believe I can see him in mid air being covered in flames.

[Ripsnort]

Here is a dashcam still of the aircraft.  Notice that the canopy is actually open after impact. 

(Image removed from quote.)

http://www.airliners.net/uf/view.file?id=49553&filename=1440261728kTff0E.jpg

Oh gawd, that is terrible.

[DaveBB]

I don't think civilian aircraft have ejection seats, even warbirds like that one. I believe that is one of the drop tanks you are seeing. 

[Puma44]

I don't think civilian aircraft have ejection seats, even warbirds like that one.

Why do you think that?

[Bizman]

Our local morning paper said that according local sources the pilot was pulled off the wreck. No mention about his state.

A spectator commented that the pilot seemed to be too low for the maneuver.

Sad news.

[danny76]

I don't think civilian aircraft have ejection seats, even warbirds like that one. I believe that is one of the drop tanks you are seeing.

Civilian aircraft have ejector seats. A few years ago a civilian Jet Provost cree ejected after catastrophic airframe failure. The Thunder City English Electric Lightning that crashed in SA had ejection seats although explosive canopy bolts failed and the pilot rode the aircraft in.
I think that it is reasonable to speculate that the apparent lack of ejection may point to pilot incapacitation, either that or he was willing to stay with the aircraft in order to avoid civilians on the ground. Pilot is reported as an ex RAF Harrier driver and BA captain. Harrier pilots were pretty much exclusively in the top echelons of the RAF.

[Zimme83]

BBC report I watched earlier said investigators are looking at the possibility the jet stalled during the maneuver.

From the video it looked as he was very near a stall atleast.

[SysError]

I am finding that the reporting from a small local paper is much better than the national press.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/

I do not know if the local Shoreham or Worthing papers are also doing a better job or not. 
(Do they have any local papers that are more than just ad circulars?)

I wonder how well the regional TV and radio stations are covering the story.

[cpxxx]

I watched the same aircraft and pilot in two separate displays a few weeks ago. He is a former RAF Harrier pilot and airline Captain and a very experienced display pilot. Not someone who might feel the need to overfly the traffic for shock value.

Something went wrong early in the loop as you can see him roll left turning the loop into a sort of half Cuban which would have taken him off the display line and in line with the road. I can't see how he would want to do that intentionally. The fact that he survived implies a relatively low rate of descent which meant he was trying to recover right up to the last moment. I wonder if the engine flamed out at a critical moment.

[DaveBB]

During the dive, there is something streaming from the right drop tank.  Also, the death toll has reached 11 now.

http://www.airliners.net/uf/177818/1440338890VnxadW.png

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/uf/177818/middle/1440338890VnxadW.png

Wow, look at the nose high attitude of the aircraft right before it hits.  Another 100 feet and it might have made it:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/uf/177818/middle/1440324468sS1QPy.jpg

[Ratsy]

Horrible.  You can't say anything else.

 

[Zimme83]

During the dive, there is something streaming from the right drop tank.  Also, the death toll has reached 11 now.

http://www.airliners.net/uf/177818/1440338890VnxadW.png

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/uf/177818/middle/1440338890VnxadW.png

Wow, look at the nose high attitude of the aircraft right before it hits.  Another 100 feet and it might have made it:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/uf/177818/middle/1440324468sS1QPy.jpg

it might be a contrail created by a vortex, on the video is looked like flaps were down. On the video u can see the plane almost stall on the way down, it wobbles a bit and that might have forced the plane to go lower than intended.

[Puma44]

It appears the slight roll off the vertical near the top prevented enough vertical airspace to complete the loop.  Perhaps the pilot realized the lack of available altitude and pulled a little harder in order to avoid the ground, getting the pre stall burble and wing wobble.  Most definitely some seat cushion suckage going on.  So close......

[DmonSlyr]

Any reports on pilot condition?

[SysError]

Any reports on pilot condition?

Still hanging in there.

11 confirmed dead.

Count many go up as high as 20.

Go good source appears to be:
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/13620557.Updates_on_the_fatal_crash_at_Shoreham_Airshow/

Pilot with RV8Tors
http://www.rv8tors.com/

A bit of a bio here:
http://www.rv8tors.com/pilots.html