Return to the incident list: Incident List Contact with power lines PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 45 Weight: 210 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: Edel Power Atlas Size: Paramotor Frame: Simonini, Titanium cage with

Incident Details

November 1, 2008 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

During a mini fly-in, a group of 10 pilots were flying in an open residential field bordered by trees and power lines. I had waited for a friend to arrive which may have lead to my accident due to dying winds and a change from a relatively constant speed to variable speed and direction. Several pilots had made short flights and a few were circling above when I attempted my take off into a slight wind. As I had lifted off normally from the ground, the ascent was less than normal when full power was applied. While maintaining forward motion into the wind, I was rapidly approaching a tree line and I believe I was experiencing rotor from these tall trees. I changed course slightly to run parallel to the trees and hoped to gain speed and altitude unsuccessfully and was now approaching a barn and power line that bordered the property. While approaching the end of the tree line, I turned 45 degrees back into the wind to attempt to gain needed lift to clear the now rapidly approaching overhead lines. My left wing edge slightly made contact with a branch on the last tree but did not stall the wing or alter forward flight. After the slight change in course, I thought(incorrectly) the added lift from a course directly into the wind would lift me safely above the lines. Maintaining full power and feeling the lift my instinct was the clearance would be closer than ideal yet safely without contact. Instincts were wrong and a body collision with what turned out to be a neutral or ground line that instantly was severed due to it being broken earlier this year by fallen trees during spring storms. The wing instantly stalled and resulted in a fall straight down of approximately 25 feet. I landed on both feet and fell forward on my chest. Fortunately, the land owner had just plowed the field for seeding which made the earth much softer and undoubtedly saved me from additional damage. EMS was quickly called and I was rushed to a nearby hospital. I never lost consciousness and had little pain. The emergency room identified a double right ankle break, triple left ankle break, multiple fractures to the left tibia and fibula, femur fracture, multiple vertebrae and sacrum fractures. After a six day hospital stay I was released to be wheel chair bound for the next 8 weeks until weight can be placed on either leg to begin the rehabilitation with crutches and a walker. Lessons learned: never think you can clear ground obstacles when motor thrust is in doubt. Always abort a marginal takeoff immediately and do not wait and see if greater lift can be achieved. Bystanders thought I should have aborted as I approached the tree line at the beginning of the takeoff. Some thought the drive belt was slipping but I have experienced this before and applied belt dressing during the pre-flight and had normal thrust without belt squeal during the engine warm-up. Never get too excited to get in the air just because all your friends are already flying.

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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