Two Air Cadets and two RAF pilots die in mid-air collision

A Grob Tutor does Aerobatics at a public display. Photo: Tom Williams (pterodaktyl on Flickr). Some rights reserved.

Two female Air Cadets and two RAF pilots were killed when they collided in the skies over South Wales yesterday.

The two Cadets, whose families do not wish to name publicly until they have come to terms with the events but who are believed to be cousins, were on Air Experience Flights with the Air Training Corps.

The wreckage of the two Grob Tutors, which collided just before 11:00 on Wednesday, February 11, was spread over half a mile, near a nature reserve close to Port Talbot in the Vale of Glamorgan. The flights had taken off from MOD St Athan.

Three separate inquiries are now underway, including one being carried out by the Ministry of Defence. Group Captain Andrew Naismith, who is in charge of Flight Training at the parent headquarters, RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire, said:

We would like to learn what lessons we can from this tragic incident

Four members of the RAF family have tragically lost their lives following an accident which took place near Porthcawl just before lunchtime today. Those who died were two members of the RAF and two Air Training Corps cadets.

I would like to hereby thank all members of the emergency services for their rapid and caring response and once again ask for the media to exercise restraint at this most difficult time for the families.

Supt Tim Jones, of South Wales Police, added:

A major incident room has been set up at police headquarters in Bridgend and a response is being co-ordinated from there.

Clearly, the scene is expansive and we will be needing to protect the scene tonight to maintain the integrity of the investigation and we would appeal to members of the public to avoid the area tonight.

In addition to the Police and MoD, the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) will also be conducting their own inquiry into the crash.