Pilot died in mid-air gliding competition crash over Melton Mowbray

An experienced pilot died in a mid-air gliding competition crash above a Leicestershire town.

Two gliders taking part in a competition on 17 August 2023 collided above Melton Mowbray.

A report into the collision, released by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), found that the pilot who died had manoeuvred his aircraft, so both pilots lost sight of each other.

The resulting crash landing would not have been survivable, the report found.

Two experienced pilots were following a set route taking them from Husbands Bosworth Airfield to Scalford Church, north of Melton, before turning south and heading towards their next destination in Oxford.

Both entered "a thermal" - a current of rising warm air - south of Melton to circle and gain height.

But one pilot began to bank sharply and turn inside of the other glider, taking the pair out of visual contact with each other.

The wing tip of one glider severed the other's tail, resulting in what a witness called "an almighty bang".

The tailless glider took an 18-second tumble through 2,900ft (884m) before crashing nose first at high speed on rough ground between houses.

The AAIB said in the report, published on Thursday, the impact "was not survivable", and the 67-year-old pilot was fatally injured.

A parachute was available, but he had made no attempt to eject during the fall, indicating that he may have lost consciousness either in the collision or nosedive.

His landing gear and airbrakes were both engaged, examinations of the wreckage found, although it was not possible to say if this was due to the pilot's actions.

Despite damage to his wing, the second pilot was able to land safely in a field.

Both pilots would have been given a warning of about four to five seconds of a potential mid-air collision by their on-board computers, AAIB investigators found.

At least one of the gliders was not on the recommended alert setting for competitions, which may have been a factor in the collision occurring.

The British Gliding Association has taken action to raise awareness regarding the increased risk of mid-air collisions in gliding competitions following the incident, says the AAIB.

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