Pilot performing steep spiral for filming followed by quick recovery causing wingover. Rapid roll-out created slack lines and wing deformation. Fell through loose lines, wing reinflated but too low, impacted 20-foot tree at 6 feet height. Sustained ankle injury.
Wrong control input
Maximum — exactly determined
Pilot started by performing slow turn for a filming pilot then entered a steep spiral. On recovery, he let the wing roll out quickly to go into a wingover. The climb that resulted from rolling out quickly caused him to get slack in the lines which allowed the wing to go limp and deform. He fell through the loose lines but didn't snag anything. When the lines went taut, the wing inflated immediately and he recovered nicely but too low to the ground, impacting a 20 foot tall tree at about the 6 foot high point with his feet sticking out. The tree cushioned the impact which was fortunate because a hill rose just beyond the tree. He limped away with some amount of ankle injury.
Aggressive low-altitude maneuvers. Quick roll-out from spiral caused excessive pitch-up/wingover, leading to slack lines and wing deformation. Poor altitude management during maneuvers.
Not deployed
tree
Wrong input triggered incident
Ankle injury
January 21, 2009
United States
Weight: 185 lbs
PPG Type: Type of Injury: Pilot Details Age: Weight: 185 Gender: Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Pilot experience level: Gear Details Wing Brand: Model: n/r Size: Paramotor Frame: n/r with Incident Details January 21, 2009 Location of the incident: , Type of Incident: Pilot started by performing slow turn for a filming pilot then entered a steep spiral. On recovery, he let the wing roll out out quickly to go into a wingover. The climb that resulted from rolling out quickly caused him to get slack in the lines which allowed the wing to go limp and deform. He fell through the loose lines but didn't snag anything. When the lines went taut, the wing inflated immediately and he recovered nicely but too low to the ground, impacting a 20 foot tall tree at about the 6 foot high point with his feet sticking out. The tree cushioned the impact which was fortunate because a hill rose just beyond the tree. He limped away with some amount of ankle injury. Other very similar accidents, with low-level steep maneuvering, have resulted in fatalities. He was quite fortunate.