THE families of 11 men killed by an airshow disaster fireball will have to wait another year to find out how they died.

The men died when a vintage jet crash landed on a busy road during the Shoreham Airshow on August 22, 2015.

The general preference is now for the inquest to start hearing evidence in September 2021, the coroner said.

Pilot Andy Hill was cleared of manslaughter by gross negligence following a trial.

He put his Hawker Hunter jet into a fatal loop manoeuvre over the A27.

The former RAF pilot was found not guilty of the manslaughter by gross negligence of all 11 men following an Old Bailey trial in March last year.

Mr Hill was injured but survived the crash.

He denied deliberately attempting the loop despite being too low and flying too slowly, claiming cognitive impairment.

The Civil Aviation Authority is conducting a review into the existence of cognitive impairment and its findings will be presented to the coroner before the inquest.

A socially distanced pre-inquest hearing at the council records office in Chichester was watched online by 50 people including members of the families.

Mr Hill, who is representing himself at the inquest, appeared by video.

Cockpit Go-Pro footage used in the criminal trial cannot be used at the inquest without an application to the High Court.

Gerard Forlin QC for some of the families said they are concerned about the disclosure of documents and videos which they believe should be used at the inquest. Mr Forlin said: “I find it staggering to be discussing this.”

The families did not want the footage to be used in 2015 when they were “raw with emotion after watching their relatives burnt,” Mr Forlin said.

The families’ position has changed he told the coroner. “You need to see these,” Mr Forlin said.

Penelope Schofield, senior coroner for West Sussex, said everything was being done to make sure the inquest goes ahead on time.

“I just cannot give those documents to you or the families,” the coroner said. “I am considering it on an almost daily basis.”

There had been voluminous correspondence between the legal teams ahead of the inquest, the coroner said.

The full inquest was due to be heard in September this year after the Air Accidents Investigation Branch confirmed it would not be reopening its investigation. The coronavirus lockdown pushed the start date back to September 2021 at the earliest, six years after the crash.

The senior coroner for West Sussex thanked the families for their patience at a hearing just before lockdown.

Penelope Schofield told the families in January: “Can I say to the families, you have been incredibly patient. We are looking at a six week window from September 14.

“I am very clear, I want everyone to do all they possibly can to make sure it starts on the 14th or within that six week window,” she said.

During another pre inquest hearing the coroner ruled the inquest will be heard without a jury.

The hearing was told the families were divided on whether or not to ask for a jury inquest.

Ms Schofield said: “Public interest will be better served by myself sitting alone.”