Shoreham air crash pilot at centre of 11 deaths claims he lost licence over bad publicity

Andrew Hill, a erstwhile RAF and British Airways pilot, said the Civil Aviation Authority took the determination to halt him flying based connected nationalist absorption to the Shoreham Airshow crash

The Shoreham disaster aviator claimed a determination to suspend his licence pursuing the fatal fireball which killed 11 men was made to debar atrocious publicity.

Former RAF and BA aviator Andrew Hill, 59, claimed the Civil Aviation Authority took the determination to halt him flying based connected nationalist absorption to the 2015 disaster, an entreaty sheet heard.

Hill was acquitted of manslaughter aft the disaster, but the coroner recovered his errors and mediocre flying were the origin of death. Stephen Spence, representing the pilot, asked the CAA determination maker: “Had determination been nary fatalities, would the determination beryllium the same?”

David McCorquodale from the CAA said: “Had determination been nary fatalities, the determination would person been the same.” Mr Spence asked him: “Adverse publicity was not a factor?”

Mr McCorquodale said his autarkic and nonsubjective determination was not made to debar atrocious publicity. He said: "My determination was based connected the facts presented to maine and grounds I had show of. Fatalities did not pass that decision.

The entreaty sheet heard the CAA nary longer believed Mr Hill is simply a acceptable and due idiosyncratic to clasp a licence to alert and his licences should beryllium revoked. The erstwhile BA aviator had flown 14,000 hours successful commercialized and subject jets, the sheet heard.

Experts from the Civil Aviation Authority said grounds gathered for their probe showed Mr Hill had been grossly negligent and incompetent erstwhile his vintage pitchy clang landed successful a fireball connected a engaged roadworthy adjacent Shoreham airport.

Mr Hill is trying to person the suspension lifted connected his backstage and commercialized aviator licences. David McCorquodale said the CAA recommended Mr Hill’s licences beryllium revoked aft reviewing grounds from Shoreham.

He described Mr Hill’s cognition arsenic cavalier and said to accidental the modular of his flying connected the time was disappointing would beryllium a gross understatement. He told the hearing: “The show was truthful acold abbreviated of competent for immoderate show pilot, it made maine see determination was thing much profound going on.

“However, the grounds showed that was not the case. How was if a aviator could execute successful this manner, missing each accidental to execute an flight manoeuvre and not bash so.

“It was grossly incompetent and negligent. It appears the grooming undertaken, deficiency of preparation, and method cognition of craft was truthful appallingly bad, I came to the decision it was incompetence, ignorance. I was nary longer satisfied helium was a acceptable and due idiosyncratic to clasp those licences.”

He said changeless challenges and threats from Mr Hill showed his disregard for nationalist information and destroyed the CAA assurance helium would proceed to obey the rules.

He said: “The aviator challenged the coroner ruling and provisional suspicion of licence and threatened the CAA with ineligible review.” Grave and galore errors showed a disregard for nationalist safety, Mr McCorquodale said. Pilots are required to amusement carnal and intelligence competence arsenic good arsenic flying skill, the sheet heard. This meant showing bully judgement and airmanship and designation and absorption of menace and errors. David White, counsel for the CAA, said changeless challenges from Mr Hill pursuing the airshow catastrophe showed a deficiency of insight.

“Mr Hill says the sheer fig of errors amusement outer factors were acting connected him. We accidental this is perverse. The grounds shows helium was not cognitively impaired, helium was flying the level precise severely by his ain negligence. His actions and inactions had a important interaction connected nationalist safety. We accidental this shows his deficiency of insight.”

The hearing, successful London, continues. A judgement is apt to beryllium reserved for a aboriginal date.