Date:	Monday 4 July 2011
Time:	16:28
Type:	Van's RV-6A
Owner/operator:	Alan Weal (pilot)
Registration:	G-RVGC
MSN:	PFA 181A-136
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	Adur Recreation Ground, Brighton Road, Shoreham, West Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	Shoreham Airport (ESH/EGKA)
Destination airport:	Shoreham Airport (ESH/EGKA)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Van's RV-6A [G-RVGC] crashed following a midair collision of 4 July 2011 with G-CEZR DA40 near Shoreham Airport. The DA40 lost it's prop and damaged a wing, but landed safely at Shoreham Airport. The Vans RV-6A came down on the Adur Recreation Ground, Brighton Road, Shoreham, and the pilot was killed. According to the following AAIB summary report into the accident:

"Two aircraft collided, in good weather, in the visual circuit. G-CEZR was rejoining the circuit on the crosswind leg and G-RVGC was on the downwind leg. G-RVGC was rendered uncontrollable by the collision and the pilot was died when the airplane struck the ground. G-CEZR, though damaged, was able to land without further damage or injury."

At the inquest into the death of the pilot, it was reported that the collision was caused due to the two aircraft not seeing each other, due to the position of the sun. As noted in the AAIB Report:

"=Sun position=
The sun’s position and angle, to the south-west and about 55° above the horizon, meant that it was unlikely to have affected the pilots’ lookout. However, it may have affected the ATCO’s who would have been looking generally towards the sun when looking for aircraft joining crosswind. The CAA acknowledges that composite aircraft can be difficult to see and, while the ATCO does not specifically recall the sun being a particular issue, the combination of factors may explain why ZR [G-CEZR] was not seen before it joined the circuit. The remainder of the approach to the collision occurred behind and at a high angle to the ATCO, making visual sighting unlikely".

Registration G-RVGC cancelled 14 July 2011 as "destroyed".

1. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422ec3340f0b613460000e3/Vans_RV-6A_G-RVGC_and_DA_40D_Diamond_Star_G-CEZR_06-12.pdf
2. https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=1&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=reg&fullregmark=RVGC
3. http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/9120608.Plane_crash_at_Shoreham_recreation_ground/
4. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2011315/Ex-British-Airways-captain-killed-mid-air-collision-light-aircraft-causes-lose-control-crash.html
5. https://ntsb.gov/investigations/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20110707X92201&ntsbno=CEN11WA458A&akey=2
6. http://www.rvuk.co.uk/viewpage.php?page_id=4&variable1=PFA%20181A-13602
7. http://forum.pilotaware.com/index.php?topic=262.0
8. https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/parks/find/shoreham-by-sea/adur-recreation-ground/
9. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14035617
10. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-18751848
11. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-20043111
12. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=311.0
13. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/04/pilot-killed-mid-air-collision
14. https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/report-into-shoreham-airport-plane-crash-which-killed-goring-pilot-2373194
15. https://news.sky.com/story/pilot-dies-after-planes-collide-in-mid-air-10487262
16. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_the_South_East.pdf

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Jul-2011 11:52	harro	Added
04-Jul-2011 12:59	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative, ]
04-Jul-2011 23:43	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative, ]
06-Jul-2011 00:13	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, ]
06-Jul-2011 06:29	RobertMB	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source, Narrative, ]
06-Jul-2011 22:10	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
07-Jul-2011 23:39	Brian	Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, ]
16-Jul-2011 04:14	Paul	Updated [Aircraft type, Narrative, ]
21-May-2015 03:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
08-Sep-2015 17:16	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, ]
31-Jul-2016 19:05	junior sjc	Updated [Narrative, ]
05-Dec-2016 23:42	Dr.John Smith	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, ]
06-Apr-2017 18:16	junior sjc	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
07-Apr-2017 19:16	junior sjc	Updated [Source, ]