Incident Details

A paramotor pilot flew into a wide canyon with the sunlight at his back. When he turned around to head back out of the canyon, he was blinded by the direct sunlight and did not see the high voltage powerlines. He collided with the powerlines and died from electrocution.

Primary cause was collision with powerlines due to sun glare/blindness. The pilot was flying into direct sunlight which prevented him from seeing the high-set powerlines in his flight path.

Fatal electrocution from high voltage powerlines

Evening flight, direct sunlight causing glare/blindness

Return to the incident list: Incident List Pilot dies after colliding with powerlines PPG Type: Foot Launch – Single Occupant Type of Injury: Fatality Pilot Details Age: Weight: Gender: Male Highest rating held at the time of the incident: Unknown Pilot experience level: Unknown Gear Details Wing Brand: Model: Size: Paramotor Frame: with Incident Details October 30, 2025 5:45 PM Location of the incident: La Verkin, Utah Type of Incident: Collision with terrain or ground obstacle, Pilot Error From social media posts & news articles, a paramotor pilot died after flying into powerlines. From Facebook: “We are absolutely devastated to share that a friend passed away from electrocution last night when he hit a high voltage power line while flying into the direct sunlight in a wide canyon. He flew into the canyon with the sunlight at his back but when he turned to head back out he was blinded and did not see the high set I am sharing in hopes of prevention. We have all had our lapses in judgement and noticed a power line a lot later than we should have, flown lower than we should over deep water or put ourselves in a position with no landing options. I hope this can be a reminder to be as cognizant as possible. Know your limits and know your area. Fly safe guys” https://www.abc4.com/news/southern-utah/paragliding-crash-washington-county/amp/ Flight Window: Evening Wind Speed: N/A or Unknown Type: N/A or Unknown Phase of Flight: Cruise/In Flight Type of Injury: Fatality Collateral Damage: N/A or Unknown 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