had a phone call from my daughter to say a Tornado had crashed just off the airfield at Shoreham air show.

she saw no sign of any ejection.

nothing on local news or sussex police site other than that police are dealing with an incident at Shoreham air show.

does not sound good.

14.02 updated

appears aircraft was a Hunter T7 which has crashed off the airfield near the A27.

14.06 updated.

reports on BBC news say Sussex Police say aircraft crashed across the A27 and several vehicles were involved.

Could even be on the A27 judging by this picture

I'm afraid that according to the latest updates on BBC news, the police have confirmed that several vehicles were involved.

by the sound of it there was standing traffic where traffic was still queueing to get into the air show.

Very sad to hear all of this

Also on BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34027260

Thoughts to all involved & families. 

latest reports on BBC are quoting seven fatalities.

airfield still locked down, only pedestrians being allowed to leave.

no ATM on the airfield, so obviously very difficult for those stuck there with young children.

This is unimaginably horrific, there's nothing to be said which can express how bad this is.

My thoughts to everyone in the area, including the emergency services who I'm sure are doing their best on a dreadful day.

Quote from: class37025 on August 22, 2015, 05:04:09 PM
no ATM on the airfield, so obviously very difficult for those stuck there with young children.

Cash machine?


Paul

I've seen video posted on Facebook...very terrible and sad..
RIP the seven victims

mega freak out, we passed along that road earlier today on our way homeward at the end of a week away! The traffic around the show was mega, very busy!!
Very sad accident!!

Best wishes to those involved

Simon

Horrific. Very tragic.

Quote from: Sprintex on August 22, 2015, 05:29:59 PM

Quote from: class37025 on August 22, 2015, 05:04:09 PM
no ATM on the airfield, so obviously very difficult for those stuck there with young children.

Cash machine?


Paul

yes. as flying was suspended, and police stopped drivers leaving the airfield, it was a case of trying to find things to keep youngsters occupied, and if you didn't have a lot of cash, you were stumped.

daughter and sons, 2 and 7, finally got home at about 10 this evening, left the airfield around six, so a 30 minute journey took nearly 4 hours.

just an example of the problems for traffic in the area, and reports are that the A27 may not re-open till Monday.

on the positive side, it appears that the pilot, though seriously injured, survived and was rescued from the aircraft by passers by. must have taken guts to do that, it never ceases to amaze me the courage people display in situations such as this.

Quote from: class37025 on August 22, 2015, 11:40:11 PM
on the positive side, it appears that the pilot, though seriously injured, survived and was rescued from the aircraft by passers by.

Wow !

So two thoughts spring to mind
1) that has got to be better than a black box to determine what failed
2) would it have had black box, was it a military or civilian one ?
oh and
3) it was a spectacular fireball so how does anyone survive / approach that - must have broken up and the fireball was elsewhere than the pilot ? To survive that is ummm, well ,, lucky !

well ....

1) not necessarily ... it depends what the actual failure was; the pilot may just have had knock-on effects to go by.  We'll find out if he survives, and if he can recall the last moments ...

2) hmmm, good question.  It was an ex-RAF trainer, I'd be surprised if they'd removed any flight recorder kit ?  But don't know what would have been in a 50-y-o aircraft ?

3) some of the imagery have shown two large lumps of wreckage.  Going from info I have on Hunters, the pilot is ahead of the main body, including the engines & fuel storage.  Drop tanks can provide additional fuel, but the aircraft seemed to be flying 'clean'.  The main fuel store is in 4 flexible bag-type tanks in the centre of the fuselage (2 forward, 2 rear), and 4 inter-connected tanks in the forward edge of each mainplane.  My assumption is that the cockpit broke away from the main crash, which had the main fireball - but that's all it is, an assumption, based on the Pilot Notes for the Hunter 6.

Quote from: MikeDunn on August 23, 2015, 11:46:55 AM
well ....

3) some of the imagery have shown two large lumps of wreckage.  Going from info I have on Hunters, the pilot is ahead of the main body, including the engines & fuel storage.  Drop tanks can provide additional fuel, but the aircraft seemed to be flying 'clean'.  The main fuel store is in 4 flexible bag-type tanks in the centre of the fuselage (2 forward, 2 rear), and 4 inter-connected tanks in the forward edge of each mainplane.  My assumption is that the cockpit broke away from the main crash, which had the main fireball - but that's all it is, an assumption, based on the Pilot Notes for the Hunter 6.

that would certainly account for the passers by being able to reach the pilot. if the cockpit area was within the fire, then I'd think the airfield crash crews would have had to foam the cockpit while crew in protective suits cut him out, having made safe the ejector seat.

IIRC for engine changes, the rear of the fuselage plus tailplane was removed, then the engine. it could be that the break took place at this join.