Two die as skydiver hits glider

Two people fell to their deaths after a freak mid-air collision when a skydiver smashed through the wing of a glider. The glider's pilot also died in the collision at around 2,000ft, which happened at Hinton Airfield, near Brackley, Northants, at about 1500 BST on Saturday.

The wing of the glider was knocked off by the force of the impact and both people were killed instantly, a spokesman for the Air Accidents Investigations Branch said.

A Northamptonshire police spokesman said the glider came down in a field close to the private airfield.

Investigation launched

Among the first to arrive at the scene was a crew from Two Shires Ambulance Service who confirmed the deaths.

A spokesman said: "We arrived to find a parachutist was deceased and the glider pilot also deceased.

"There were no other casualties."

An AAIB spokesman said few details of the accident were available but confirmed the tragedy.

"A parachutist flew into the glider knocking off its wing," he said.

"There are two fatalities ... the pilot and the parachutist."

Investigators are due to attend the scene to establish in greater detail how the accident happened - they will be assisted by the Parachute Association.

Staff at Hinton Skydiving Centre, which is based at the airfield, were unable to comment as the incident is being investigated.

~ BBC