'Pilot error' behind airshow crash that killed 11 people, court hears

A pilot accused of killing 11 people when his vintage fighter jet crashed during the Shoreham Airshow "could offer no explanation" as to what happened, the Old Bailey has heard.

In opening remarks from the prosecution, a jury was told that Andrew Hill made no comment during police interviews but provided three prepared statements to them on separate occasions.

He told police "he had no memory of the incident", the court heard, but said G-force "may have been a factor".

Prosecutor Tom Kark QC said he intended to call a number of expert witnesses, who will explain what they believe went wrong. He said they all discount loss of consciousness as a factor in the accident.

Mr Kark told the court that the crash "purely happened because of pilot error".

Hill's vintage Hawker Hunter crashed on the A27 on 22 August 2015. He was thrown from the plane but taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The 54-year-old, who denies 11 counts of gross negligence manslaughter, had been performing a loop-the-loop before the crash.

Paramedics who treated Hill at the scene had asked if he had felt unwell beforehand - the prosecution claims he answered "yes".

Mr Kark told the jury that If he was feeling unwell, to fly in the display was "negligent in the extreme".

Jurors were told that a number of witnesses at the display were experienced pilots who noticed Hill was flying "both low and slow" in the moments before the crash.

They were also told how the plane itself was in good working order and that the prosecution believed the crash was caused by pilot error.

Mr Kark said: "There is a heavy responsibility that lies upon the pilot's shoulders to plan their display carefully so that high standards are maintained and no one is put at risk... several of the witnesses you will hear from describe him as highly competent.

"The prosecution's case is that on this occasion he fell far below his usual standards."

Although Hill had been a member of the RAF before becoming a commercial pilot with British Airways, the prosecution said he was known for taking risks.

Prior to the crash, at the Southport Airshow, a display performance he had given was halted by the show's flight director over concerns about safety, the court heard.

About 30 family members of the victims were in court to hear the trial's opening remarks.

Judge Mr Justice Edis told the jurors: "This is a very tragic case, there will be moments of emotion... but it is an important trial to be involved in."

The trial is expected to last about six weeks.