August 18th 2023.
Tragedy has struck in Leicestershire, as a glider pilot has died in a horrific mid-air crash with another light aircraft.
Leicestershire Police were called on Thursday after reports of a glider crashing following a mid-air collision with a second glider. Upon arriving at the scene in Alderman Way, Melton Mowbray, the pilot of the first glider was pronounced dead.
Thankfully, the second glider landed safely nearby, with the pilot sustaining only minor injuries. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) was notified and is now leading the investigation.
Witnesses reported that two gliders collided midair and shocking pictures from the scene show one 'completely obliterated' after it plummeted to the ground. One onlooker said, “One of the gliders has been completely obliterated. It would be a miracle if anyone has survived it. They collided midair. There were a few in the sky at the time. One of the gliders looks ok, but the other span out and was left in multiple pieces across the field. It’s a shocking scene to say the least. They narrowly avoided the town.”
When approached by reporters, the AAIB declined to comment but a spokesperson said that the wreckage had been recovered and the investigation was still ongoing. A spokesperson for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said, “We received a call from Leicestershire Police at 15:05 to a microlight or glider that had crashed in a field in Melton Mowbray. We sent an appliance from Melton Mowbray Station and Birstall Station.”
Leicestershire Police is urging anyone with information or footage of the incident to contact police on 101, quoting incident 422 of August 17. The Agency encourages you to stay informed with the latest news updates by following us on Twitter and Facebook. You can also have The Agency articles sent straight to your device by signing up for our daily push alerts.
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