Return to the incident list: Incident List Trike Spiral Into Church PPG Type: Type of Injury:

Pilot Details

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

Gear Details

Wing Brand: Model: Size: Paramotor Frame: with

Incident Details

October 10, 2016 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident:

From news outlet: DRAPER, Utah — Authorities have identified a paramotorist who died after crashing into the roof of a church in Draper as Jim H. Petersen. The fatal accident occurred at about 8:55 a.m. Sunday during services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 272 E. Traverse Point. “We have heard reports that there might have been a collapse of the chute,” said Sergeant Chad Carpenter with Draper Police. “We don’t have that confirmed yet though.” “Witnesses say he was out of control and spiraling rapidly,” said Steven Howlett, one of Petersen’s friends who was flying alongside him Sunday morning. Howlett said the two of them took off from the South side of the Point of the Mountain around 7:30 a.m., but he says he landed before Petersen did. “He had more gas than I did,” Howlett said. “So he kept going.” Howlett later learned that his friend crashed through the roof of the LDS church. While at least dozens of people were in the building, no other injuries beyond the fatality were reported. Petersen, 57, is from Bluffdale. Petersen was using a paramotor, which is a form of powered paraglider. The paramotor broke at least partially through the roof of the church. Friends of Petersen tell FOX 13’s Jeff McAdam through Facebook that Petersen was a loving man who would do anything for his family. Based off of YouTube videos and Facebook photos, it also appears he was a very experienced pilot. Howlett believes that Petersen was already unconscious upon impact. “All those G-forces hitting him,” he paused. “He probably blacked out from all the spinning.” Ed: He was on a trike. He may not have been trained on local weather conditions and, according to a local pilot, flew downwind of, and below the top of a mountain which normally contains strong turbulence in the condition present at the time. It is a condition that occurs most of the time, south wind in the morning, north wind in the afternoon.

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