A British pilot could face criminal charges in the crash of a Hawker Hunter vintage jet at the Shoreham Air Show in August of 2015. Andy Hill, 52, survived the fiery crash into a busy highway that killed 11 people on the ground. Although he has not been formally charged, the Daily Telegraph is reporting that he has been told he is being investigated for manslaughter by gross negligence. Hill failed to pull the Cold War fighter out of a loop during his routine at the airshow. Hill, an ex-military pilot who was also a British Airways captain, was severely injured in the crash, which happened on the first day of the show last Aug. 22.
In addition to the criminal charges, Hill is also being investigated for endangerment under the U.K.’s aviation regulations. A hearing will be held later this month to decide if data recorder information, video footage and reports from experts can be released to the Sussex Police for their investigation. Meanwhile, the local coroner is pressing for a full inquest that she estimates will last eight weeks. It could be held next March. It was the second worst airshow accident in the U.K. A crash at the 1952 Farnborough Air show killed 31. After the accident, the British government restricted vintage jet displays to flypasts and banned aerobatics. It also temporarily grounded civilian Hawker Hunters.
