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IT HAS been 10 years since a Grob Tutor aircraft crashed over Kenfig Nature Reserve where two schoolgirls were among four people killed.
Cousins Nikkita Marie Walters, 14, and Katie-Jo Davies, 13, both pupils at Tonyrefail Comprehensive School, perished alongside their RAF instructors, Hylton Price, 63, from Bridgend, and 24-year-old Andrew Marsh, from Penarth, when two RAF Grob Tutor training aircraft collided over Kenfig nature reserve.
The planes had taken off from RAF St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan earlier in the day.
Ministry of Defence spokesman Paul Barnard said: “This is the first time this has happened during an RAF training flight with civilian passengers.
“These aircraft are very safe and Prince William learned to fly in one of them.”
The RAF last night launched an inquiry into yesterday’s tragedy, which happened during “air experience flights”. Group Captain Andy Naismith said: “Four members of the RAF family tragically lost their lives following an accident which took place near Porthcawl. “Those who died were two members of the RAF and two Air Training Corps cadets. I would like to hereby thank all members of the emergency services for their rapid and caring response.” Eyewitnesses described the planes’ last moments as they clipped wings, sending the aircraft spinning out of control. There was a large explosion, followed by plumes of smoke rising from the scene.