Inquest to open into 11 Shoreham air disaster deaths

Forensic investigators at the scene of the Shoreham air crash where 11 people died. Credit: PA

The inquest into the deaths of the 11 Shoreham air disaster victims will be opened and adjourned today.

All the victims' names will be officially released by the West Sussex senior coroner Penelope Schofield during the hearing at County Hall North in Horsham, West Sussex, from 10.30am.

Due to inquiries by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the inquest will be adjourned to a later date.

The plane wreckage has been sent to Farnborough, Hampshire, where AAIB investigators are seeking to find out what caused the crash. An interim report is due in days.

Floral tributes have been left on a bridge near the A27 close to the scene of the Shoreham air disaster in memory of the 11 victims. Credit: PA

Details of 10 of the victims have already been made public since the disaster during the Shoreham Airshow on August 22 when a vintage Hawker Hunter jet failed to pull out of a loop-the-loop stunt and crashed onto the busy A27 nearby.

The dead include window cleaner Mark Trussler, 54, from Worthing, and cyclists and friends Dylan Archer, 42, from Brighton, and Richard Smith, 26, from Hove.

NHS manager Tony Brightwell, 53, from Hove, grandfather Mark Reeves, 53, from Seaford, and Worthing United footballers Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, both 23, also died.

Other victims include personal trainer Matt Jones, 24, wedding chauffeur Maurice Abrahams, 76, and Daniele Polito, from Worthing. One victim has not been named.

The senior identification manager at Sussex Police, Detective Chief Inspector Carwyn Hughes said they have no reason to suspect anyone else died.

Pilot Andrew Hill was left fighting for his life after the crash, and has been moved to a specialist hospital for treatment.