BGPM,
The Firefly was a Military aircraft, so RN/MOD Board of inquiry is set up. Yes AAIB may assist, but the BoI takes primacy. The fact it was a Civilian display is not important. As for the FCC terminating the Firefly display, they'd have to be VERY quick off the mark to have stopped it just as the aircraft nose dropped below the horizon. Maybe 5 seconds until impact??? Time to get off their seat and go 5 yards to the Visual control room at DX, then inform the Display Director, who then gets ATC to radio the pilot, then pilot to stop display??? 2 minutes? Believe me, as someone who has had the un-enviable task of having to do it on numerous occasions, it takes a long time......And doesn't always have a positive & happy ending
Jumpseater,
The CAA Air Display section restricts civilian aircraft at Flying Displays to operating crew only, unless formal written permission is granted by them for essential flight safety reasons (visibility, special aircraft procedures etc). This is a sound procedure and has worked well in the past. As the Firefly was a military aircraft, the RN approved the aircraft to be operated with 2 persons on board. Probably ballast or something similar. Same as the Swordfish, which flies with 3 crew (Pilot, Observer, Flag waver/Saluting orderly!), and the BBMF Lancaster (5 carried on board I believe).