Introduction
On May 31, 2015, at approximately 1430 universal coordinated time, two Vans aircraft were destroyed following a midair collision over the Adriatic Sea near Corropoli, Italy. The aircraft involved were a Vans RV8, registration I-LOVI, and a Vans RV7, registration I-AMEL. The Italian certificated pilot of the RV8 was fatally injured, while the Italian certificated pilot of the RV7 sustained minor injuries.
Accident Details
The local flight had departed Corropoli as part of an airshow at an unspecified time. According to investigators, the airplanes were performing formation flight in what was described as a "mirror formation" at the time of the collision. During the formation, the RV8 appeared to "lose height" before it struck the RV7. The impact caused the RV8 to break up in flight and fall into the sea. The RV7 subsequently executed a forced landing onto the sea surface. The pilot of the RV7 was able to egress the aircraft with minor injuries.
Aftermath
Both aircraft were destroyed in the accident sequence. The investigation into the incident is under the jurisdiction of the Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo (ANSV) of Italy. Further information may be obtained from the ANSV.