Discus and Standard Cirrus collide on short final with no radio calls

A Discus and a Standard Cirrus collided on short final at Hinton-in-the-Hedges after a club competition; the Discus pilot was fatally injured, the Standard Cirrus pilot seriously injured, and both gliders substantially damaged. Position calls had been briefed, but witnesses heard none from either pilot as they joined the same left-hand circuit from different points, each unaware of the other. On final the Standard Cirrus turned shallowly toward runway 09, crossing the path of the Discus lined up for runway 06; they met at about 8 m.

1. Competition return: Both gliders were returning to Hinton-in-the-Hedges from a local inter-club competition; the Discus B crossed the finish ring first, the Cirrus about six minutes later and lower.
2. No position calls in circuit: Witnesses on frequency heard no circuit position calls from either pilot; both came from a club where such calls were not routine, shaping their view of radio as supplementary.
3. Both joined circuit unaware: Both gliders joined left-hand circuits at the same time from different positions; without position calls, awareness relied on visual lookout alone, and neither pilot saw the other.
4. Converging 30° final approach paths: On final the Discus B was lined up with one runway while the Cirrus, slightly ahead and lower, flew a shallower path to the same runway — a convergence that hindered visual detection.
5. Cirrus's late right turn toward 09: The Cirrus then turned shallowly toward a different runway with airbrakes closed or partly closed, placing it directly in conflict with the Discus B; the reason could not be established.
6. Mid-air collision at ~25 ft AGL: The gliders collided low above a runway intersection; the Discus B pitched up, rolled inverted and struck the ground, fatally injuring its pilot. The Cirrus landed upright, entangled.