Date:	Saturday 13 October 2018
Time:	13:19 LT
Type:	Schempp-Hirth Duo Discus T
Owner/operator:	Trustee of 2UP Group
Registration:	G-CJUM
MSN:	5
Year of manufacture:	2000
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	English Channel, Beachy Head Cliffs, East Sussex -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	Parham Airfield, Storrington, West Sussex
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
A Schempp-Hirth Duo Discus T glider crashed into the English Channel near the East Sussex landmark.

Conclusion from BGA report:
"The investigators’ conclusion is that the accident was non-technical in nature and primarily the result of 'Human Error', as discussed. What is commonly described as “peer pressure” may also have been a factor, as the commander believed that he had made his reticence to conduct the flight obvious and overt. However, his discomfort does not appear to have been obvious to those around him so it cannot be established with any certainty that it was truly a factor.

Nevertheless, the fact that the commander had (or was given) little time to prepare himself either mentally or physically for the flight would without doubt have been performance-diminishing from a 'threat and error management' perspective. It is also possible that factors less obvious and more systemic in nature (e.g. safety culture and supervision) played a part on the day and contributed to the accident.

Additionally, although not medically qualified, the investigators felt that the aircraft commander was suffering and showed signs of the symptoms of significant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of this incident. As a result of this observation a recommendation has been made to the British Gliding Association that it considers reviewing post-accident action guidance, to take into account the longer-term impacts of a trauma upon an individual".

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-45849257
2. https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/two-rescued-as-glider-crashes-off-beachy-head-1-8667953
3. http://hmcoastguard.blogspot.com/2018/10/glider-crash-at-beachy-head.html
4. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6280823/Dramatic-aerial-footage-shows-RNLI-helicopter-crew-winching-glider-pilots-safety.html
5. https://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=1644426#p1644426
6. https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/news/watch-coastguard-teams-rescue-two-men-after-beachy-head-glider-crash-1-8669725
7. https://www.pprune.org/accidents-close-calls/614314-glider-down-beachy-head.html
8. BGA Final Report: https://members.gliding.co.uk/library/investigation-reports/duo-discus-bga-accident-report-2019/

Schempp-Hirth Duo Discus T G-CJUM was built in 2000, and was also registered with the British Gliding Association (BGA) as BGA4792 on their register. It was re-registered as G-CJUM on 10 October 2007. The registration G-CJUM was cancelled by the CAA (and the airframe de-registered) on 18 December 2018 as "destroyed"

Beachy Head, from cliff top. 13.10.18

Beachy Head, from cliff top. 13.10.18

Beachy Head, from cliff top. 13.10.18

A dramatic incident over at Beachy Head today as a glider crashed off the coast https://t.co/fVDAcnMsMn

— Sussex Express (@sussex_express) October 13, 2018

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
13-Oct-2018 16:05	gerard57	Added
13-Oct-2018 16:07	gerard57	Updated [Total occupants, Narrative]
13-Oct-2018 16:09	gerard57	Updated [Total fatalities, Other fatalities]
13-Oct-2018 16:13	Iceman 29	Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative]
13-Oct-2018 16:40	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
13-Oct-2018 16:44	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
16-Oct-2018 10:24	Iceman 29	Updated [Embed code]
16-Oct-2018 10:40	Iceman 29	Updated [Source]
24-Oct-2018 09:12	Anon.	Updated [Aircraft type]
29-Oct-2018 21:13	Anon.	Updated [Photo]
29-Oct-2018 21:13	Anon.	Updated [Photo]
29-Oct-2018 21:14	Anon.	Updated [Photo]
17-Mar-2019 22:26	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
28-Sep-2020 23:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Cn, Location, Source, Narrative]
16-Feb-2024 08:59	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Registration, Operator, Narrative, Category]
16-Feb-2024 09:02	ASN	Updated [Narrative, Accident report]