Husbands Bosworth incident

[egbt]

From the BBC:

A spectator has been killled at a gliding competition at Husbands Bosworth airfield in Leicestershire.

A plane [presumably a tug as this was a junior competition]collided with the man who was taken to hospital by air ambulance but pronounced dead on arrival at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

A 25-year-old man was arrested and questioned by officers following the accident on Tuesday afternoon but he has since been released.

A post mortem examination was due to be carried out on Wednesday.

Police have not yet formally identified the dead man.

The accident is being investigated by Leicestershire Police and the Air Accident Investigation Branch.

The victim had been watching the 4th FAI Junior World Gliding Championships. :(

BBC link (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/4137234.stm)

[Arkroyal]

A plane [presumably a tug as this was a junior competition]collided with the man It was a competing glider, which collided with a photographer during the finishing stages of yesterday's task

[egbt]

Arkroyal

Thanks for the clarification, as a 25 year old was interviewed I assumed he was the driver and would not be competing glider pilot.

[S-Works]

As I recall "junior" is 25 and under.

It has been glider soup around here for the last week during the competition. My lookout has never had to be so good.

[egbt]

Bose-x

I can believe it, I counted at least 12 in one thermal over my house N of Bicester - probably from HB, thought at the time that's one of my normal routes and at a GA cruise altitude.

[OpenCirrus619]

BGA Official Statement (http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/documents/Statement100805a.doc)

STATEMENT

Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire
10am, Wednesday 10th August, 2005

Incident at Husbands Bosworth – 9 August 2005

On the afternoon of 9 August, there was a collision between a glider and a man, adjacent to Husbands Bosworth airfield, where the 4th FAI Junior World Gliding Championships are being held.

The pilot was not physically injured but the other person, a member of the gliding community, was injured and taken by air ambulance to Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham. According to Leicestershire Constabulary, he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The incident is under investigation by the police and by the government’s Air Accident Investigation Branch. The event organisers and the British Gliding Association are assisting these teams in their investigations.

We understand that formal identification of the body has not yet taken place.

The incident site has been cordoned off by the authorities and, as a result, flying at the airfield is currently suspended.

Pete Stratten, the BGA Chief Executive said: “Our thoughts are with everybody affected at this sad time.”


Press enquiries to Keith Auchterlonie, BGA Communications Officer. Tel 07736 335578, Email [email protected]