Grant Thompson died in a paragliding accident when his wing collapsed while flying at approximately 100 feet altitude in thermally active conditions over hilly desert terrain.
Turbulence
High — very likely identified
Grant Thompson was flying his paraglider in the evening hours over hilly desert terrain when his wing collapsed. He was flying at approximately 100 feet altitude when the collapse occurred. The weather conditions included temperatures around 100°F with winds of 10-15 mph and gusts. The area was experiencing thermal activity due to the sun heating the ground surface. The collapse likely occurred when he flew through a violent thermal at low altitude. Due to the low altitude, there was insufficient time for the wing to re-inflate or for him to deploy his reserve parachute before ground impact.
The primary cause was likely flying through a violent thermal at low altitude in thermally active conditions. Contributing factors included: 1) Low flight altitude (~100 feet) providing insufficient time to recover or deploy reserve, 2) Thermally active weather conditions with temperatures around 100°F, 3) Wind conditions of 10-15 mph with gusts creating more violent thermals, 4) Flying over hilly desert terrain during daytime hours when thermal activity is strongest.
Not deployed
desert terrain
July 29, 2019
United States
Sand Hollow State Park, Utah
Grant Thompson
30 m
Former airline pilot with 11 years experience. Semi-retired, working in real estate. Had taken up paragliding only 5 months before the accident. Married with four kids. Born November 21, 1980 in Canada.
6 m/s
10-15 mph with gusts
Clear weather, approximately 100°F (38°C), winds 10-15 mph with gusts
Thermally active conditions with violent thermals due to sun heating desert surface combined with wind. Lower altitude thermals more violent than higher altitude.
Analysis video by Growing Answers discussing Grant Thompson's fatal paragliding accident. Key points from the video: - Grant Thompson (The King of Random) died in a paragliding accident approximately a week before the video was made (video uploaded August 8, 2019) - Wing collapse occurred at approximately 100 feet altitude - Weather conditions: ~100°F, winds 10-15 mph with gusts - Location: hilly desert area - Time: evening hours, still in daylight - Thermal activity: High due to sun heating desert surface combined with wind - Video creator (also a PPG pilot) speculates Grant flew through a violent thermal close to ground - At 100 feet altitude, insufficient time to re-inflate wing or deploy reserve parachute - Official report mentioned "change in updraft" but video creator believes thermal encounter more likely cause - Risk factors: Low altitude flying, thermally active conditions, windy weather, hilly terrain creating additional turbulence --- Video by Tragic Stories (uploaded July 23, 2023) about Grant Thompson's accident: - Date: July 29, 2019 - Location: Near Sand Hollow State Park, Utah (Washington County) - Grant Thompson born November 21, 1980 in Canada - Former airline pilot (11 years), then semi-retired in real estate - Had taken up paragliding only 5 months before accident - Married to Jany, had four kids - Washington County Sheriff's Office received call about overdue paraglider - Pilot should have landed an hour earlier, unreachable by cell phone - GPS location of cell phone used to locate body - Helicopter located pilot's body - determined deceased, never regained consciousness - Video recording device recovered from scene - Investigators reviewed footage (never to be released publicly) - Footage showed: updraft suddenly changed, causing rapid altitude loss, crash occurred seconds later - Report states: "He did manage to deploy his reserve parachute but it was too late" - Flying at approximately 100 feet altitude - Weather: 100°F, winds 10-15 mph with gusts - Terrain: hilly desert area - After death, channel ownership passed to wife - Book "52 Random Weekend Projects" completed posthumously by production crew - Grant Thompson Outward-Bound Scholarship established July 16, 2021