Return to the incident list: Incident List Tree Brush and Landing Injury PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 51 Weight: 165 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: Para Toy 25 Size: Paramotor Frame: Vittorazzi 100 with

Incident Details

September 23, 2007 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

During landing approach after almost 2 hours of ideal flying, a wind gust around a treed area just prior to the grassy landing area. It made me graze the top of a large pine tree. I flew at least another 50 yards toward the left, finally touching down on top of the sheet metal roof of a large new hangar. My legs punched threw and I stopped at about chest level with the roof, the motor and frame holding me in place 20 feet off the ground.

Causes are hardest to speculate since conditions were ideal all morning. However, in the interest of education and thought for others, I provide the following ideas. A one point around the time of the landing approach, I recall thinking about my trim setting and that I had not adjusted it to the slow setting. Possibly I was distracted by pulling trim at the time I neared the mentioned pine tree instead of flying. The other main possibility (and less damning to my pride) is that the wind just surprised me and gave me a downdraft or sideways push into the tree that I did not anticipate. Turbulence near the treeline is possible. Still my fault for not allowing enough margin for such.

Last comment is – could I have steered to avoid the tree (if it was just a gust)? Maybe – if my reaction time and forethought were better. My guess is that I did steer slightly left when I saw the tree to my right. However, the natural pendulum action may have actually swung me into the treetop. If I had done the exact opposite maybe things would have be different, who knows? I thank God that I only suffered broken ribs and some material damage. Be safe and fly that thang every second!

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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