Footage from the cockpit of the vintage jet which crashed at the Shoreham Air Show has revealed there were no abnormalities on the aircraft during the fight, according to investigators.
Some 11 people were killed when the 1950s Hawker Hunter plummeted onto the A27 in West Sussex on 22 August, as pilot Andrew Hill tried to complete a loop-the-loop stunt.
The disaster raised questions about the safety of air shows and prompted changes to the organisation of similar events in the UK.
An interim report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has since said that “no abnormal indications” were apparent during the flight, and that the aircraft “appeared to be responding to the pilot's control inputs".
Prior to the fatal flight, which left the pilot in a critical condition, Hill “was in good spirits” and did not report any defects after he carried out a pre-flight inspection at the from North Weald Airfield, Essex, before he headed to Shoreham Airport.
Detailing the impact to the plane during the crash, investigators said that the pilot and his seat were thrown from the cockpit as the aircraft hit the ground.
Shoreham plane crash - In pictures
Read more:
Final victim named as inquest opens into crash
Medic shocked members of public who were filming crash
Video shows Hawker Hunter jet's 'laboured' take-off
Clacton Airshow draws crowd of 100,000 as spectators pay tribute to victims
However, it remains unclear if this was because of an attempted ejection on the part of the pilot or because of the impact of the crash.
The report also uncovered the fact that the vintage jet was not fitted with a flight recorder, but there were two cameras were mounted within the cockpit.
As investigators continue their assessment, they will analyse the "large amount" of video and photographs of the aircraft from various locations around Shoreham Airport. This could determine the parameters of the jet's manoeuvres, including flight path and speed.
Following the crash, the majority of the wreckage has been recovered and sent to the AAIB's headquarters in Farnborough, Hampshire, but search teams are continuing to search for some small pieces of the plane.
As an inquest into the disaster was opened on Wedneday, the final victim of the crash was named as James Mallinson, 72, a retired engineer from Newick near Lewes.
The inquest into their deaths has been adjourned to a date yet to be fixed, The Telegraph reported.
Additional reporting by PA
