Return to the incident list: Incident List Bad launch results in knee injury PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 32 Weight: 170 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: Mac Para Eden II, 28M, DHV 1-2 Size: Paramotor Frame: DK Whisper, 65lbs with

Incident Details

October 14, 2006 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

There was maybe 5mph steady wind, so I did a reverse launch. The wing came up and looked straight, so I turned and started running. The wing started diving off to the right, so I corrected with brake input and running direction. I overcompensated, and the wing came up and went too far over to the left. I was eventually able to control the oscillation, and was just starting to get some lift when I ran out of runway. At the north end of our field there is a large ditch, which is about 10′ deep and 15′ feet across. I was starting to get a little lift by the time I got to this ditch, so I decided to keep going, expecting that I would get airborne over it and fly it out. Rather than get lift when I went out into the ditch, I lost a little, and came at the other side way too fast. When I saw that I wasn’t going to clear the other side, I stuck my right leg out relexively, and the full force went into that leg. The knee was fully dislocated, but there were no other injuries, and just minor damage to the prop tips. Hindsight pilot errors: 1) When the wing dropped way over to the side initially, I should’ve aborted right then. 2) Most importantly, I shouldn’t have counted on lift (that I didn’t have) to clear an obstacle. 3) If I had pulled hard brake when I saw the other side of the ditch coming toward me, I probably would’ve slowed down enough to be uninjured. Fixing this knee is going to cost a lot more than my pickup plus my wing plus my motor. Save money and pain- use good judgement!

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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