[Archive 2007-09-15] Aircraft crashes during mock dogfight at Shoreham Airshow, United Kingdom

Historical archive — originally published 2007-09-15. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

An aircraft dating back to the Second World War has crashed at Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex, United Kingdom whilst participating in a mock dogfight, killing the pilot. The plane was with the Royal Air Forces Association and had been performing in a Battle of Britain display.

Authorities could not confirm any injuries or fatalities, but the missing man formation was performed in a flyby shortly after the crash. The plane went down into a field near the A27, about a mile from the airfield. Emergency services and a police helicopter attended the scene. The plane was a Hurricane, one of three performing alongside the two Spitfires and five Messerschmitts.

The show is thought to have been attended by about 20,000 people, and was delayed by about 30 minutes after the crash. However, eventually a tannoy (PA) announcement stated that the pilot "would have wanted them to carry on", and the show continued. The crash occurred on the first day of the two days the annual airshow is scheduled to take.

Officials have requested for anyone filming the airshow at the time to come forward in the hope that the footage will assist in investigating the cause of the crash.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Aircraft crashes during mock dogfight at Shoreham Airshow, United Kingdom by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.