The fighter jet plunging down for a fatal crash

The jet in flames

Seven persons  have been confirmed dead after a fighter jet smashed into traffic on a busy dual carriageway and burst into flames after failing to pull up from a loop-the-loop stunt during an airshow display .

Thousands of spectators watched in horror as the 1950s Hawker Hunter crashed into several cars on the A27 next to Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex today.

The pilot identified as  former RAF Harrier jump-jet flier Andy Hill, is believed to have been pulled from the burning wreckage at just after 1.20pm and is now fighting for his life in hospital.

South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed that seven people died in the crash, 14 were injured and one person has been left with life-threatening injuries.

The vintage car it cut its roof

The single-seater 1950s jet was seen  hurtling towards the ground before it exploded into a massive ball of flames and smoke.

It was 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 casualties in this incident are all believed to have occurred on the road 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. It is not known at this stage how many people were in the vehicle.

According to the hire company’s website, the car was available for hire in the Brighton area for between £220 and £255.

*Reported by Mail Online. For more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3207016/Pilot-pulled-burning-wreckage-plane-crashes-Shoreham-Airshow.htmlWitnesses 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’. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3207016/Pilot-pulled-burning-wreckage-plane-crashes-Shoreham-Airshow.html#ixzz3jZk7OKmE Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook