Date:	Thursday 17 August 2023
Time:	c. 15:00 LT
Type:	Schempp-Hirth Ventus 2cT
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-KADS
MSN:	231
Year of manufacture:	2009
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Roundhouse Park, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Husbands Bosworth Airfield (Gliding Centre) (X3HU)
Destination airport:	Husbands Bosworth Airfield (Gliding Centre) (X3HU)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
Two gliders, a Lange E1 Antares (G-CLXG) and a Schempp-Hirth Ventus 2cT (G-KADS), collided in mid-air while competing in a regional competition flying from Husbands Bosworth gliding club. The pilot of G-KADS was killed.
G-KADS crashed close to the Roundhouse Park housing estate in Melton Mowbray, U.K., killing the pilot.
G-CLXG force landed in a field on the outskirts of Melton Mowbray and was missing its right-hand winglet.

UPDATE; The AAIB investigated the incident, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report into the incident:

"During a gliding competition flight, both gliders entered a thermal just to the south of Melton Mowbray at a similar height. Although the gliders were initially on opposite sides of the thermal, changes in the angle of bank of both gliders brought their flight paths into conflict and they collided.

The pilot of G-CLXG was able to land the glider safely and was uninjured but the tail of G-KADS was severed in the collision and the glider descended out of control. The pilot was fatally injured.

The British Gliding Association (BGA) took action to raise awareness regarding the increased risk of midair collisions in gliding competitions".

=Damage sustained to airframe=
According to the AAIB report, G-KADS was "destroyed". The glider's registration was cancelled (and the airframe de-registered) on 27 February 2024 as "destroyed" and "Registered owners - Addressee status: Deceased"

1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66276f86838212a903a7e50c/Ventus-2CT_G-KADS__E1-Antares_G-CLXG_06-24.pdf
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-66538308
3. https://www.nemm.co.uk/post/emergency-services-scrambled-to-glider-crash-in-melton
4. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/major-incident-melton-gliders-crash-8686437
5. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/23540599/melton-mowbray-glider-aircraft-crash/ (with video)
6. https://www.pprune.org/accidents-close-calls/654276-glider-crash-melton-mowbray.html
7. https://www.radarbox.com/data/registration/G-KADS/2016932798
8. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12421567/Pictured-Experienced-pilot-67-died-two-gliders-collided-mid-air-horror-crash.html
9. https://www.soaringspot.com/en_gb/hus-bos-challenge-cup-2023-husbands-bosworth-2023/results
10. Accident in USA 24 September 2015: NTSB Report number ERA15LA375 at https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=92056
11. http://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/NNum_results.aspx?NNumbertxt=710JC
12. https://www.flightaware.com/resources/registration/N710JC
13. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Ven2ct.htm
14. http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2015/11/schempp-hirth-ventus-2ct-motorglider.html
15. https://planecrashmap.com/plane/va/N710JC/

This Schempp-Hirth Ventus 2cT was built in 2003, and registered in the United States on 11 January 2013 as N710JC. The aircraft was severely damaged in a wire strike incident at Blacksburg, VA on September 24 2015 (see separate ASN entry). The US registration was cancelled on 22 July 2016, and sold to Germany, being registered in Germany as D-KADS in August 2016.

The glider was re-registered in the UK as G-KADS on 12 August 2019 to its one and only UK-registered owner. As at 31 January 2023 G-KADS had accumulated a total of 718 flying hours on the airframe.

After the incident at Melton Mowbray on 17 August 2023. G-KADS was confirmed as \"destroyed\", and the gliders registration was cancelled (and the airframe de-registered) on 27 February 2024 as \"destroyed\" and \"Registered owners - Addressee status: Deceased\"

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

24 September 2015	N710JC	Private	0	Montgomery County near Blacksburg, VA		sub
Collision with pole or wires

A report has been published into a fatal accident involving two gliders (G-KADS and G-CLXG) which collided during a competition flight near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, 17 August 2023.https://t.co/PDyLyaQxdw#aviation #aviationsafety pic.twitter.com/0CywsDWNPR

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) April 25, 2024

We have launched an investigation into a glider mid-air collision which occurred this afternoon near Melton Mowbray, Leicester, and have deployed a team to the site.

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) August 17, 2023

Melton Mowbray glider crash: One pilot killed in horror collision | UK Newshttps://t.co/4GL0WWDghT

— Jaun News English (@EnglishJaun) August 18, 2023

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Aug-2023 16:31	aci_uk	Added
17-Aug-2023 17:02	Anon.	Updated
17-Aug-2023 18:03	Stealthmanbob	Updated
17-Aug-2023 18:28	Aerossurance	Updated
18-Aug-2023 06:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated
18-Aug-2023 06:09	harro	Updated
18-Aug-2023 10:07	gerard57	Updated
18-Aug-2023 11:05	RobertMB	Updated
18-Aug-2023 14:19	Iceman 29	Updated
20-Aug-2023 19:02	Dr. John Smith	Updated
22-Aug-2023 15:56	maxonian91	Updated
02-May-2024 17:12	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category]
02-May-2024 17:12	ASN	Updated [Embed code, Accident report]
03-May-2024 15:51	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source]