“It is possible that there are still bodies at the scene and it is important that our search is professional and thorough”, Derrick said at a news conference.
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Ailish Southall, who was driving along the motorway with her two children, said “we were waiting for it (the plane) to go back up and it didn’t – it seemed to kind of split in two”.
It appears that witnesses to the moments leading up to the plane crash realized that there was something terribly wrong. And then there was a huge explosion as the plane exploded, fireballs straight up into the air.
West Sussex Police said officers along with fire and ambulance services were at the scene dealing with the incident.
Tim Loughton MP, who represents East Worthing and Shoreham, tweeted: “Tragic news that there have been fatalities at the Shoreham Air Show crash and our thoughts and prayers must be with the families and casualties”.
The road has bee closed, and drivers have been advised to avoid the area.
Seven people have been confirmed dead after a plane crashed during an airshow in Shoreham-By-Sea.
“From where we were we could see the jet came down very low and looked like it was going to scoop up – but it didn’t”. That road has been chock-a-block all day. “There was a ball of fire, we didn’t even hear an impact, and then plumes of black smoke”. It looks like a war zone.
Witness Stephen Jones told the BBC that the plane was doing a loop but failed to complete the manoeuvre and crashed. No one in the airfield was reported injured.
The crash was the second at the airshow in recent years.
It was repaired and returned to the RAF as a trainer at Kemble in July 1959, before being withdrawn from service in 1996. “My thoughts are with you all”.
Tomorrow’s air show has been cancelled, organisers said. He is highly professional and it is totally unusual for this to happen.
Media reports said the pilot of the plane was pulled from burning wreckage.
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The crash is one of a string of accidents involving vintage aircraft this summer, prompting calls for greater regulation of older aircraft. It was not yet known whether the jet pilot was able to eject or not.
