Council Van asks "What is the fatality accident rate for air displays?"
The answer is there is not one. However in considering the chances of becoming a victim as a spectator, the reminder is the worst so far in history, namely the Sknyliv air show disaster in July 2002. It resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of the pilots and three military officials. In this instance the death and injury toll were confined to the spectators. What distinguishes the Shoreham disaster is the fact that it was those who were using the public highway that lost their lives. The attendant risks of an air display, for reasons, cause and circumstance yet unknown, were not confined to the areas laid out for the display. More for these reasons than any other, the public interest aspects of this accident will be of considerable significance in the aftermath to this tragic event.