Shoreham Airshow crash: ‘I’m still in a state of shock’

The words of eye-witness Ryan Keats who was standing just a few hundred feet from the scene of the devastating plane crash at Shoreham Air Show yesterday.

The 23-year-old is still trying to come to terms with the shocking events which unfolded before his eyes at the show.

It was the second time Ryan had worked at the show as a member of the Johnston Press events team which promotes Sussex Newspapers across the county.

“I had gone for my lunch break and was just shaking the salt on my chips when I heard the plane above,” said Ryan. who lives in Eastbourne.

“Someone in the queue said ‘that’s pretty low’ and it didn’t look far above the ground.

“I was still shaking the salt onto my chips when it happened.

“I saw the Hawker Hunter was about 100 feet or so above the ground and it started shaking.

“I think at that point the pilot was looking for a place that would have the least impact.

“But at no point did I think it was going to crash. You just assume the pilot knows what he is doing and was going to pull up.

“The plane went behind the bushes and then I felt the ground shake.

“When I saw the fireball I thought it was part of a pyrotechnic show.

“I felt the impact - it went through me.