Return to the incident list: Incident List Fatal low altitude towing accident PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 61 Weight: 160 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: Mac Para Muse II 28 – DHV 1 Size: Paramotor Frame: 5.5 HP Tow Motor with

Incident Details

May 31, 2006 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

Instruction started on Monday for a 5 day motorized training course with three students. There were two good days of extensive ground handling, classroom theory instruction, and working with the motors on the ground. The students were starting to become proficient at ground handling and steering the paragliders above their heads as they moved the paragliders around the field without the motors. Low towing up to 75 feet was planned for Wednesday morning. The tow machine is a 5.5 horsepower motorized stationary machine with a clutch driven take up reel. The tow machine is placed within 75 feet of the pilot launch position with the line going directly into the wind to a turn around pulley attached to the hitch on a van and the line coming directly back about 400 feet down the wind line to the towed pilot. This setup allows the tow operator to be relatively close to the launching towed pilot and see that all is good with the launch. All tows are done with a radio communication helmet. Radio checks are done before each tow to insure the pilot can hear and understand the operator. Directions are given on launching, steering, releasing, crabbing S turns to loose altitude, flaring and landing. The first student did fine with the tow, pulling the release and gliding to the ground. The second student (incident tow) started with a reverse launch into 5-7 MPH steady winds at 9:45 AM. The pilot climbed to about 75 feet while responding correctly to radio instructions and keeping good directional control on a straight path toward the turn around pulley. The tow operator slowed the tow machine to a low steady tension and gave the command to pull the release, there was no release. The release command was given again, with no release. Two more release commands were given with no release. At this point it was necessary to start an S-turn pattern to lose altitude and not overfly the turn around pulley and van. The tow operator gave the command to crab right slowly and the towed pilot pulled a hard right turn causing the flight path to go perpendicular to the tow line. The towed pilot pulled another hard right turn causing the paraglider to turn sharply into a cross/down wind path away from the turn around pulley. In less than a second, (to fast for the tow operator to cut the line) the line went tight and the spool could not reel out fast enough to keep up with the down wind speed of the paraglider (perhaps 30 mph). The line pulled the pilot back, the paraglider flew down in front of the pilot, and the pilot fell about 50 feet to the ground, landing horizontal on the front of his body The tow operator and two other training students ran to the fallen pilot. The two other students in training were Emergency Medical Technicians and immediately started CPR. Local Paramedics were there within 10 minutes and a life-flight helicopter came in. The fallen pilot never showed any signs of movement or consciousness after impact. Medical personal at the scene said he was probably gone almost immediately after hitting the ground. After the incident, the tow bridle was inspected. It was in proper working order, with the release pin still in place and never pulled. It is assumed that the towed pilot panicked, did not pull the release, and oversteered the paraglider into a downwind path away from the instructed flight path.

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):

Video (if available):
Other Files (if available):

Return to the incident list: Incident List