Return to the incident list: Incident List Collision with Terrain/Obstruction PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 39 Weight: 148 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: Swing Arcus M DHV 1-2 Size: Paramotor Frame: Fly 75 with

Incident Details

January 1, 2006 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

Just after 4pm I headed out for a soaring flight. Conditions seemed reasonably strong (winds 2-12 mph) but not sharp (speed changes farily gradual). I launched and slowly climbed, hitting lift and sink, for about 3-5 minutes.

I kept the climb over landable terrain since I hadn’t gained near enough altitude to set out. The direct drive Fly 75 provides an abysmal climb rate of 100 fpm or so…the entire flight was at full throttle. I had just circled in a small thermal and leveled out heading westward (into the prevailing) when it hit.

My hands were at about 1/4 brake (min sink) and the wing went back some (not violently and not a lot). Then I obviously got into some strong sink and started descending…slowly at first. The brakes were limp. I looked down, saw the ground coming up, realized we were going to meet and prepared for impact. Just before the meeting I pulled the brakes hard for whatever “pullup” effect they might have. The time from realizing I was in trouble to impact was under 5 seconds.

I landed with my knees bent and rolled right. It was instinctive and I never thought about doing a PLF…it just happened. Amazingly, the motor continued to run until I killed it. I got up right away to see what was working and fortunately everything was. It could have been MUCH worse.

Witnesses (I asked two folks who saw it) said the wing looked “normal” all the way down. A third fellow volunteered that the “landing” looked intentional until I hit and fell. The descent wasprobably 600 fpm and it felt like the last 30′ was parachutal.

The wing with my weight is very slow meaning it wouldn’t take as much wind to stop it (relative to the ground). As far as the parachutal (if that indeed happened) aspect, maybe if I got off the throttle right when the wing went back it could have been averted but at that low altitude getting off the throttle would not be a natural thing to do. Going parachutal was certainly the last of my worries.

Flight Window: Wind Speed: Type: Phase of Flight: Type of Injury: Collateral Damage: Analysis of the incident (additional input by the incident investigation team): Photos (if available):

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