Return to the incident list: Incident List fire @1200 feet PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 57 Weight: 185 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: Dudek nucleon 27 wrc Size: Paramotor Frame: nirvana rodeo with

Incident Details

July 3, 2015 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

Saturday morning I went for a cross country flight from Dunnellon Airport To Crystal River and back. Wanted to check out all the boats going scalloping, for the first day of the season. Almost back to the airport. Flying at 1200 feet over the Rainbow river. I notice my back getting hot. Turn to see my motor on fire. Lipo battery stated the fire. turn east and headed to a field just south of the Dunnellon high school. Turn off the motor once I cleared the tree line. That didn’t help the flames. Motor broke away from the top of my harness and swung down. I got my arms out of the harness and grabbed onto the risers to try to get away from the flames. Spiraled down as fast all I could. Arms and back burning. Just before landing turned and tried to get close to the road as possible. Grabbed for my brakes put missed the left one. Hit the ground hard with my left shoulder. Got up, got my wing and walked away from the burning motor. walk about 200 yards to the road. EMTs arrived quickly because some one on the ground call 911 before I landed. I was transport to Shands burn trauma unit in Gainesville Fl. Stayed 2 nights in Shands and was released Monday at noon with 2nd degree burns on my back and arms. returned to the site Tuesday evening after the sheriff released the site to get my wing. My swing arms and a small piece of my harness where still attached to the wing. after looking at that, there is no way I should be alive. I should have fallen from the sky. God had his hand on my life. I’m a walking miracle. My new name is Fireball.

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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