ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 189880
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| Date: | Saturday 26 May 2007 |
| Time: | 14:02 |
| Type: | UP Makalu wing and Sup’air X-Alps harness |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | Unregistered |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Wether Fell, Hawes, North Yorkshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Wether Fell, Hawes, North Yorkshire |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
UP Makalu wing and Sup’air X-Alps harness paraglider crashed 26-05-2007 at Wether Fell, Hawes, North Yorkshire. At a height of less than 100 feet above a steeply sloping hill the wing of the para glider suffered an asymmetric collapse over approximately 60% of its area. The wing had partially re-inflated when the pilot impacted a rock imbedded in the hillside. The wing was found to be serviceable and the collapse was probably caused by air turbulence. The pilot - the sole person on board - was killed. Per a contemporary BBC report (see link #2) "As the 45-year-old pilot struggled to regain control he hit a rock on the hillside, said the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). He suffered serious pelvic injuries and died later from internal bleeding". According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"On the day of the accident there had been a hang glider competition at the hill site, alongside which several para- gliders were also flying. Earlier in the afternoon, a hang glider had suffered an unrelated accident, as a result of which emergency services were already in attendance.
At the time of the subsequent accident to the para glider, most of the competition pilots had landed and conditions were described as turbulent, with 'lively thermal conditions'. The accident pilot was seen by other para glider pilots to be flying at a height of between 50 and 100 feet above the local terrain, and was presumed to have become airborne shortly beforehand.
As the para glider proceeded in a south-westerly direction along the ridge, it sustained an asymmetric collapse over approximately 60% of its area, originating from the left (ridge side) wing tip, causing it to drop and turn towards the slope. The canopy began to re-inflate almost immediately, swinging the pilot towards the slope. With approximately 50% of the canopy remaining collapsed, he impacted the hill laterally, hitting a rock at a point where the terrain sloped at an angle of approximately 70 degrees to the horizontal.
Other pilots who ran to assist him found him conscious and conversant. After receiving first aid from the emergency services, the pilot was placed on a stretcher and raised up the steep slope using ropes to an area of flatter ground. Approximately 30 minutes after the accident, he was taken to hospital by an air ambulance".
Damage sustained to the airframe: Per the AAIB report "None: The wing and harness were found to be serviceable, unmodified and in a condition commensurate with their age. It was not possible to determine the harness chest strap setting used during the accident flight, because it had probably been loosened during efforts to assist the pilot".
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5423044ced915d1371000ca5/UP_Makalu_wing_and_Supair_X-Alps_harness_03-08.pdf
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/north_yorkshire/7293566.stm_/default.stm
3. http://www.cumbriasoaringclub.co.uk/CSC_Safety.php?pageNum_querySafety=1&totalRows_querySafety=32
4. http://www.bhpa.co.uk/documents/safety/formal_investigations/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Sep-2016 16:06 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
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