Return to the incident list: Incident List Pilot crashed into box canyon PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

Age: 37 Weight: 200 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level:

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: Sky Cima K2, Med, Size: Paramotor Frame: Flat Top Ninja, Vittorazi Moster with

Incident Details

August 22, 2015 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

While flying close terrain, the pilot misjudged a canyon and flew directly into a box canyon. Immediately upon direction change toward the canyon, the pilot realized that exit was not possible. The pilot attempted to power out of the canyon without success. In a last effort the pilot attempted to turn around in the canyon, slamming into the opposite wall at approximately 25-30 mph. The frame absorbed most of the impact and the paraglider collapsed. The pilot flipped around and landed on his back on a ledge, breaking his tail bone. Momentum carried the pilot and paramotor over the ledge where the pilot was in a fatal head-first descent toward the ground. The paraglider lines caught a small lip of the ledge and prevented the pilot and paramotor from ground contact. The entire mass was flipped over so that the pilot was able to put his feet down on the ground and unbuckle himself from the paramotor and walk away. The pilot was wearing a soft shell jacket and motorcycle gloves which prevented scrapes and injury to his upper body. The helmet sustained no contact with any surface. The paramotor and paraglider were considered 95% loss. The only parts that could be reused were the spacer plate on the prop and the engine mounting plate. The piston seized in the cylinder. The cylinder head was crushed. The comfort bars were bent. The right comfort bar partially wrapped around the pilot, potentially saving him from side impact. The main frame was bent from the initial impact. The paraglider had multiple rips and cuts with many lines that had exposed the inner fabric.

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