Aircraft

The UK Ministry of Defence has launched an investigation into the cause of a mid-air collision involving two Grob 115E Tutor primary trainers operating from its base at St Athan in south Wales. Four people are confirmed as having been killed when the aircraft (wreckage of one pictured below) crashed near Porthcawl on 11 February.

"Those who died were two members of the RAF and two Air Training Corps cadets," says Gp Capt Andy Naismith, a spokesman for the Royal Air Force. "A full investigation into this tragic accident is already underway involving the Air Accident Investigation Board, the South Wales Police and the MoD."

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Used for University Air Squadron and air cadet experience flights, the RAF's fleet of more than 90 Grob Tutors are provided under a private finance initiative deal with VT Aerospace. The company last year received a contract to deliver continued services using the aircraft until 2019.