Ventus cT and Skylark 4 mid-air at ~28° off head-on in hazy cruise

The pilot of a Schempp-Hirth Ventus cT was fatally injured in a mid-air collision with a Slingsby T50 Skylark 4 near Lasham; both gliders destroyed, the Skylark pilot bailed out uninjured. At ~1,220 m AGL the gliders were both straight and level, converging ~28° off head-on; the Skylark pilot saw the white Ventus only at the last moment, slightly above and 10° to his left. The Ventus underside struck the Skylark's left wing and tail; the Skylark lost part of a wing and tail before its pilot bailed. The Ventus descended near-vertically nose-down. Visibility was variable and decreased with height under haze, with 11 other gliders airborne.

1. Aerotow launch and cruise from Lasham: The Ventus cT was aerotow-launched from Lasham at 11:30 LT and had been airborne for over three hours. The Skylark 4 was on a winch launch at 12:33 LT for a Silver Certificate five-hour duration attempt, operating within ~15 km of the airfield.
2. Hazy; visibility falls with altitude: Surface conditions were bright but hazy with visibility generally over 5 km, but variable and decreasing with height. The Skylark pilot described the air as becoming 'murkier' as he climbed; no cloud entry was reported.
3. 11 other gliders airborne from Lasham: At least 11 other gliders from Lasham were airborne at the time, including several thermalling under cumulus, increasing the local traffic density.
4. Straight-and-level, ~28° off head-on: At ~1,220 m AGL both gliders were flying straight and level on nearly opposing tracks about 28° off head-on. The Skylark pilot had been tracking two red gliders to his left; turning forward he saw the white Ventus 'fill the windscreen', slightly above and ~10° to his left, and pushed forward on the stick instinctively.
5. Ventus hits Skylark wing then tail: The Ventus underside struck the top of the Skylark's left wing then its empennage. Red paint scrapes on the Ventus underside (centred on its longitudinal axis, angled 10° right-to-left, forward-to-aft) and cream paint on the left side of the forward fuselage confirmed the geometry. The Skylark lost part of a wing and its tail section; the Ventus cockpit was severely disrupted.
6. Skylark pilot bails; parachute deploys: After the impact the Skylark pilot released his canopy and harness and was thrown clear of the disintegrating aircraft. He pulled his ripcord and the parachute deployed successfully; he landed uninjured and ran to a nearby house to alert the airfield.
7. Vertical nose-down impact; pilot fatal: The Ventus descended near-vertically nose-down and struck the ground at about 90° pitch attitude with high vertical and minimal horizontal speed. Ground impact was unsurvivable; the pilot was fatally injured and the airframe destroyed. The Skylark wreckage came down 474 m from the Ventus.