Shoreham Airshow families react after pilot's failed licence bid

Andrew Hill lost his appeal against the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) decision to revoke his pilot licences.

The 60-year-old was stripped of his licences after his Hawker Hunter jet crashed on to the A27 at Shoreham, killing eleven people on August 22, 2015.

Mr Hill’s bid to regain his licences caused huge anger among the families whose loved ones were killed.

Caroline and Bob Schilt lost their beloved son Jacob. The 23-year-old was on his way to play football with his friend Matthew Grimstone when they were both killed.

Caroline and Bob Schilt with a picture of their son Jacob who died in the Shoreham Airshow disaster (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

“Finally, we can have some peace after nearly ten years since the terrible loss of our son Jacob, at the hands of Andrew Hill,” said Mrs Schilt.

“The CAA has robustly and emphatically stood by their decision to revoke all his licences.

“Having witnessed his appeal hearing in London, we are convinced that he is not of fit character to be allowed to fly.

“A man who cannot answer a straightforward question is not someone who would be capable of making a rational decision.

“Hill has never accepted that the atrocious standard of flying on that fateful day was his responsibility.

“He tried to express remorse at this final appeal hearing but he failed to convince us that this was about anything other than trying to retrieve his licences.

“We are so relieved that this agonising period of uncertainty is over and we hope that he will finally accept responsibility for the events of 22nd August 2015 and leave us to grieve peacefully at last.”

Matthew’s parents Phil and Sue Grimstone said: “We are delighted the panel has reached this decision but it is the one we hoped for.

Sue and Philip Grimstone holding a picture of their son Matthew (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

“It would be inconceivable for Hill to be given the right to fly again given his cognitive impaired stance.

“It must never happen.

“The fact he continues to pursue the possibility merely emphasises his complete disregard for the feelings of the families.”

Tony Mallinson lost his 72-year-old father James.

“We are very pleased as a family to hear the outcome of the CAA public hearing knowing that Mr Hill's licences will never be reinstated,” he said.

“This is a huge relief to all of us, the families trying to prevent anything like this from ever happening again to another family.”

Following the Shoreham Airshow Disaster, Andy Hill was charged with 11 counts of manslaughter.

An Old Bailey jury acquitted him after hearing he had been cognitively impaired during the flight.

Following the acquittal, senior coroner Penelope Schofield found all 11 men had been unlawfully killed.

Senior coroner Penelope Schofield said she did not need to be an expert to know the pilot was too slow going into the fatal loop and too low when he reached the top.

“The aircraft failed to reach the height required by a significant margin,” she said. “This was not a small misjudgement.”

Mr Hill carried on with the loop rather than abort or try to fly out of it, the coroner said.

“This goes beyond an error of judgement,” she said.

“Risk to life would have been clear and obvious.

“This was not a close call.

“There was no difficult judgement to make here.

“It should have been clear and obvious he was too low.”

Denise Morriss’s 53-year-old brother Mark Reeves died in the incident.

“After nine years we can close the door to the fear that Mr Hill may be given permission to once again take control of an aircraft,” she said.

“My brother was one of the eleven men whose lives were wiped out in an instant.

“Our lives will never be the same again but the skies above us will be a safer place without Mr Hill flying again.

“Thank you to all those who have supported the families in seeking this outcome.”

Tom Rutland, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, also welcomed the CAA's decision.

“People across Shoreham will never forget that awful day and were outraged upon hearing that Mr Hill was applying to fly again, and the families and friends of those who lost their lives have had to relive their trauma and pain during Mr Hill’s attempt to regain his licence," he said.

"Despite a senior coroner previously concluding that the plane crash was “a result of the manner in which it was flown”, and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigation finding that a number of errors by Mr Hill caused the crash, the CAA’s decision report states Mr Hill “still seeks to disassociate himself from any meaningful responsibility for the accident”.

"It could not be clearer that he is simply not fit to sit in a cockpit.

"Whilst today’s decision cannot undo the years of grief and upset that the families and our wider community have endured, I hope it provides them with the reassurance they have long needed that Mr Hill will never pilot a plane again.”