Hurricane accident report released

On October 20 The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) issued its report on the crash of Hawker Hurricane XII G-HURR at Shoreham airshow on September 15, 2007, which took the life of Brian Brown.

Brown was following another Hurricane, Z5140/ G-HURI, in a tailchase when the lead aircraft pitched nose-up 45º and made a “Derry turn”. The AAIB report says, “The second Hurricane (G-HURR), pitched nose-up about 15º, before rolling to the left. As it reached the inverted position, the roll stopped, the nose dropped and the aircraft entered a steep dive”. The Duxford-based fighter impacted at a 45º angle in a field a mile north of the airport.

The AAIB findings concluded that “The pilot had stated on a number of occasions prior to the display that he would not be rolling the aircraft. The accident probably occurred as a result of the pilot attempting an unplanned rolling manœuvre. When the manœuvre was commenced, the airspeed was adequate, but the nose-up pitch attitude was insufficient to enable it to be completed safely in the height available”.

Brian Brown had given 86 displays in G-HURR and had amassed a total of 183hr on it while the fighter was based at Breighton, Yorkshire, during 1998–2006, after which he delivered it to a new owner at Duxford. He did not fly it again until September 12, 2007, and had added another 3hr before the accident.

Read the full report at the AAIB website