Seven people died and 14 were injured in the horrific crash with one patient fighting for his life in hospital
The pilot, named locally as Andy Hill, was pulled from the burning wreckage and was airlifted to hospital
The Hawker Hunter jet crushed a Vauxhall Corsa as it hit the ground before disintegrating into a massive fireball
This is the shocking moment when a vintage Hawker Hunter jet smashed into the A27 in Shoreham during an airshow display on Saturday afternoon.
Seven people were killed on the ground after the former RAF jet pilot, named locally as Andy Hill, crashed into a Daimler wedding limo that was on its way to pick up a bride and groom around 1.30pm.
Miraculously, the pilot, who flies for British Airways, was pulled from the flaming wreckage of his jet and flown by air ambulance to hospital. He is currently in a critical condition.
South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed that seven people died in the crash, 14 were injured, with four of them taken to hospital.
Footage has emerged showing the single-seater 1950s jet hurtling towards the ground before it exploded into a massive ball of flames and smoke.
This is the dramatic scene where a Hawker Hunter jet crashed into a wedding limo during an air show in Shoreham on Sea East Sussex
The pilot desperately tried to pitch his aircraft up in an effort to gain altitude as the jet was just a few feet above the main A27
The Hawker Hunter was completely destroyed with this section just behind the pilot engulfed in a fireball after it smashed into the ground
Mr Hill, who is in his 50s, is a very experienced pilot with more than 12,000 hours in the cockpit. His wife is also understood to be a very experienced airline pilot.
As the aircraft came to the bottom of its loop, Mr Hill pitched the nose of the aircraft up in a desperate attempt to gain altitude, but the jet continued downwards.
The aircraft, which first entered service with the RAF in 1955, crushed a Vauxhall Corsa which was heading along the A27 passed the airport. The jet lost control after striking the car and soon broke up, engulfing a vintage Daimler DS420 in a fireball as the disintegrating jet sprayed burning aviation fuel over the carriageway. The Daimler was on the opposite side of the road, heading from Brighton towards Worthing when it was destroyed.
The first fire crews were on the scene within seconds of the aircraft coming to a rest and the pilot was pulled from the cockpit, which had broken away from the rest of the air frame.
Superintendent Jane Derrick, from Sussex Police, said that at least seven people died at the scene. All of those who died are believed to have died on the A27 between Worthing and Brighton.
A specialist team of officers are continuing to search the scene of the accident to ensure that they have identified all of the victims.
The Hawker Hunter crushed a Vauxhall Corsa, pictured, as it desperately tried to gain altitude during its aerobatic display yesterday
The rapidly disintegrating jet sprayed aviation fuel all over the carriageway engulfing a Daimler DS420 which was on its way to a wedding
The jet left behind a trail of devastation last went on for several hundred metres after it crashed on the A27 on Saturday afternoon
Several people were standing across the road watching the air show from a road junction as the jet exploded into a huge fireball
She said she feared that it is possible that they have not yet recovered all of the bodies and the death toll could possibly increase as they continue to search the area.
Witnesses said the A27 was very busy at the time and there were people standing on a green area near the crash site.
It is the second fatal incident at the Shoreham Airshow in recent years.
In September 2007 James Bond stuntman Brian Brown, 49, died when he crashed a Second World War Hurricane after carrying out an unplanned barrel roll at a re-enactment of the Battle of Britain.
The emergency services arrived at the scene only moments after the disaster and managed to pull the pilot from the flaming wreckage
Sussex Police said it might take several days to reopen the road because it suffered extensive damage in the crash
The casualties in this incident are all believed to have occurred on the road at this time and there are not thought to be any injuries to anyone actually on the airfield.
The Daimler DS420 State Landaulette Limo which was destroyed in the crash was a vintage car hired out for weddings.
According to the hire company's website, the car was available for hire in the Brighton area.
A spokesman for Chariots Chauffeurs, based in Lewes, East Sussex said: 'The car was on its way to collect a bride and groom and take them to their wedding. I have not heard from the driver and I am trying to get in contact with his wife.'
A fighter jet smashed into traffic on a busy road and burst into flames after failing to pull up from a loop-the-loop stunt during the airshow
The fighter jet was seen skimming the tops of trees on the side of the busy road before destroying a number of vehicles on the A27
The Hawker Hunter narrowly avoided a long line of traffic including a bus before it cashed onto the A27 during an attempted loop
Emergency services raced to the scene of the crash and police were seen covering a Daimler limousine which had its roof sliced off
The pilot was named locally as former RAF officer Andy Hill, who is believed to have been pulled alive from the wreckage
The Royal Sussex County hospital was put on alert for a major incident and a number of helicopters have been deployed to the scene to evacuate casualties to hospital.
Witnesses have described seeing the jet stall during a loop-the-loop stunt and fail to complete the manoeuvre before smashing into waiting traffic belly down in a 'massive ball of flames'.
Tony Wallace, 48 from Shoreham, watched the crash from nearby Mill Hill with his friends and two children.
He said: 'The Hunter came from the airport and flew over us and did and loop the loop to go back around to the airport, but at the bottom of the loop it just seemed to lose power and went into the ground belly down in a massive ball of flames.'
'We could see it all; it went down on the A27 by the lights near the airport. That road has been chockablock all day and we can see stationary cars there now. There's still plume of smoke, fire engines and a car covered in foam. It looks like a warzone.
'There are around 200 people watching it here and there was a gasp of horror. If the pilot ejected, we didn't see it.'
Thousands watched in horror as the 1950s single-seat jet plummeted towards the lines of waiting cars and crashed belly-down
Horrifying footage shows the moment the Hawker Hunter smashed into the A27 at Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex today
Photographers have captured the moment the Hawker Hunter exploded in a ball of flames in the seaside town in West Sussex
Chris from Worthing said: 'It was doing a big loop the loop and I thought, "That's coming in low" and then there was a massive fireball.
'It looked like it landed on oncoming traffic on the A27. There were many burnt out cars and motorbikes laying on their side. It was absolute carnage.'
Stephen Jones said: 'The aeroplane involved is a Hawker Hunter T mark 7. And he'd just begun his flying display.
'He'd gone up into a loop and as he was coming out of the loop I just thought, you're too low, you're too low, pull up.
'And he flew straight into the ground either on or very close to the A27, which runs past the airport.'
Jason Gunn, 53, said: 'I was watching the display standing on top of my car. As it came down, it seemed like it didn't have enough power to lift it up.
I saw it just going below the tree and I expected it to come up. But it didn't and suddenly - boom boom. It looked as if it split in half.'
The Hawker Hunter crashed on the main A27 just north of Brighton City Airport killing seven people on the ground according to police
Hundreds of spectators looked on in horror after the Hawker Hunter crashed into the ground and instantly burst into a fireball
Witnesses have described seeing the jet stall during a loop-the-loop stunt at the airshow and fail to complete the manoeuvre
The 1950s plane was taking part in a display when it encountered a problem and crashed into the ground in a fireball
The vintage aircraft continued to lose altitude but the pilot seemed to get the jet's nose pointing up in a desperate attempt to gain height
The jet disappeared behind the tree line as it was just a few feet above the A27 road which was packed with cars at the time
The 1950s jet erupted into a fireball as it disintegrated after it slammed into several cars along the A27 just outside the aerodrome
Several people in cars travelling along the A27 were killed instantly in the fireball as well as two cyclists who were also on the road
The Air Accident Investigation Branch has asked anyone with footage of the incident to store it in case they require it later
The crash at Shoreham was witnessed by thousands of people who had flocked to the first day of the air show, as well as horrified onlookers nearby.
Shoreham resident Dave Penwarden, 51, said he saw the plane explode in a 'massive fireball'.
'The plane was coming out of a loop-the-loop, it was fairly low,' he said.
'It just didn't seem to have enough speed to come out of the loop, instead of powering out it dropped too fast and hit the ground.
'There was a massive fireball and an awful lot of smoke. Afterwards there was a stunned silence.
'Everyone just went quiet, it's remarkable really. There was no more flying stunts and it's all just been quiet.
'People are waiting for when they can leave, if you drove then you can't leave and it's going to be hours.'
Another witness David Hough, 76, said he saw the aircraft flying low to the ground.
'Suddenly there was a big flash and flames and lots of smoke. Everyone was very quiet and subdued afterwards.
'A lot of people now can't go home, if you came by car you're stuck.'
The accident happened only a few yards from the front gate of the independent boarding school Lancing College. The college Tweeted following the disaster: 'Our sympathies, thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the plane crash at the Shoreham Airshow this afternoon.'
Police and emergency services kept stunned onlookers at the airfield while they provided assistance to survivors of the disaster
The plane (circled) was seen skimming the trees along the side of the dual carriageway before crashing into several cars
Sussex Police warned local residents that the A27 may remain closed for a number of days while the damage is repaired
Witnesses said the Hawker Hunter jet plane was performing a loop but did not complete the manoeuvre and crashed
The plane crashed in a fiery explosion on the nearby A27 and fourteen people were treated for minor injuries at the scene
The Hawker Hunter plane (pictured) failed to pull out of an aerobatic loop and smashed into the A27 which will remain closed for today
Witnesses have described seeing smoke billowing into the sky just moments after the accident as the plane took part in a display
Witnesses said they saw the jet loosing power during a loop-the-loop and smashing into waiting traffic belly down
Friends and fellow pilots have taken to social media to send their best wishes to Mr Hill's family.
One user, known as @PlaneOldBen, wrote: 'I really hope Andy Hill is ok, the RV8TORS were flying at Blackpool Airshow a couple of weeks back whilst I was flying.'
Another, named just as Gareth, wrote: 'Hawker hunter crashed at Shoreham, no ejection by the looks of things. Andy Hill the pilot, I hope some how he got out.'
And Paul Rogers, from West Sussex, added: 'RAFA #Shoreham airshow: the Hawker Hunter has crashed on or near the A27. Terrible news. Our thoughts go out to Andy Hill's (pilot) family.'
Pilot David Wildridge, who had flown with the Tiger Nine display earlier today said: 'He is a highly experienced pilot, well-known and well-loved. He is highly professional and it is totally unusual for this to happen.
'He was a Harrier pilot in the air force. They are the top RAF pilots - the best of the best.
'It is difficult to make any comment on the crash which would be meaningful until the investigation is complete. His wife was also a British Airways captain and our thoughts are with the family. It was just very sad when it happened.'
Moments after the crash, stunned survivors surveyed the scene of the carnage as a pall of smoke hung low over the sky
South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed that seven people died and 14 were injured including the pilot who was airlifted to hospital
BBC South East reporter Chrissie Reidy tweeted that the plane hit two cars on the A27 north of Shoreham airport
Sussex Police said they feared that more bodies may be found as the emergency services continue their search of the crash area
The Hawker Hunter, serial number WV372 was built for the Royal Air Force in the 1950s but was now being flown by civilians
Eyewitness Alexander Metselaar, 50, who was just 40 yards away, said: 'As the aircraft came down I realised the pilot wasn't going to be able to pull up in time.
'It struck car after car, with each vehicle bursting into flames.
'For a second or two there was a stunned silence at the airshow, then children who witnessed the crash started screaming their heads off.'
Ailish Southall was driving along the A27 with her two children when the plane came down just 45 feet from her car. She said: 'We were waiting for the aircraft to go back up and it didn't - it seemed to kind of split in two. There were huge amounts of fire and we ran from the car to avoid the debris.'
Conservative MP Tim Loughton said the accident was 'tragic' and said everybody's 'thoughts and prayers must be with the families and casualties'.
Airshow officials confirmed there had been 'a major incident outside the airfield boundary', tweeting that emergency services are responding.
Police have advised motorists to avoid the A27 in the Shoreham area for rest of today as both carriageways were closed between the A293 turn off for Shoreham Harbour and the A2025. The closures are likely to remain in place for the rest of the day.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: 'At about 1.20pm the aircraft hit several cars on the A27 just to the north of Shoreham Airport, where an air display is taking place. The aircraft ended up in a bush. There have been several casualties but we have no further information on these at the moment.
'The A27 has been closed in both directions and drivers are asked to avoid the area until further notice.'
The Hawker Hunter is a British jet plane known for its manoeuvrability and speed.
The jet, serial number WV372, was built for the Royal Air Force at a factory in Kingston-upon-Thames in the 1950s.
The aircraft - one of more than 1,900 to be built - made its first flight on July 17, 1955. It was later sent to West Germany, only returning to the UK to be maintained.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch has asked anyone who has video footage or still images of the tragedy to keep them in case they are needed.
Prime Minister David Cameron sent his 'heartfelt condolences' to the families of those who died in the crash.
A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister sends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the people who were so tragically killed after a jet crashed into several vehicles in West Sussex.
'The Prime Minister's thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims.'
Superintendent Jane Derrick, pictured, said the emergency services were still searching the scene for any additional bodies
Air Crash Investigators will try and determine why the aircraft failed to pull out of its roll in time and crashed into several cars
When the aircraft started to disintegrate, the its aviation fuel was sprayed around the carriageway creating an inferno
Seven people on the ground died after the plane was destroyed, however the pilot Andy Hill was pulled from the flaming wreckage
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