Hurricane Crash Cause

British aviation authorities have finally concluded a two-year investigation into the fatal crash on Sept. 15, 2007 of a World War II Hawker Hurricane fighter.

Brian Brown, an experienced pilot from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was flying the Hurricane when it crashed into a field about one-mile north of the Shoreham Airshow. The accident "was probably caused by an unplanned maneuver by the pilot," the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report said.

Moreover, the report said Brown had stated beforehand he would not be rolling the aircraft.

"However, he did roll the privately-owned plane during a mock dogfight," the report stated. "Although the aircraft's airspeed was adequate, its pitch meant it had insufficient height for the stunt to be completed safely.

"No evidence of any defect or malfunction that would have contributed to the accident was found in the Hurricane," the report added.

The Hurricane was taking part in a WW II re-enactment and the board concluded the crash "probably occurred as a result of the pilot attempting an unplanned rolling maneuver" which had not been practiced as part of the sequence. After the accident, Brown's colleagues at the Real Aeroplane Company in Breighton, North Yorkshire, described him as "one of the most experienced Hurricane pilots in the country."

He had been flying the plane for 10 years and had amassed 400 hours flying time. Brown had taken part in major air shows around Europe but was not originally due to fly at the event in Shoreham.

He volunteered his services due to a shortage of available pilots.