History of the Flight
On the afternoon of 23 April 2018, a group of foreign paraglider pilots, including the accident pilot, went to a natural launch site in the area of Agios Spyridonas in Koliaki, Municipal of Epidaurus, with the intention of conducting flights. The group was accompanied by a Greek pilot who briefed them prior to takeoff about the prevailing weather conditions, the appropriate span of their flight, areas to be avoided, and provided information on the landing site. The accident flight was the second flight of the day, following a morning flight of approximately 20 minutes near Lygourio.
The Greek pilot cautioned the group to avoid the area east of the launch site due to a narrow pass that could cause a Venturi effect, accelerating wind and potentially affecting flight. The accident pilot took off and his flight lasted approximately 14 minutes, mostly confined to the east of the launch site and within 1,000 m of it. The accident occurred at around 17:49 h. The impact point, located southeast of the launch site, is in a rough, rocky, and bushy area about 88 m away from the nearest dirt road. Notably, the pilot did not deploy his emergency parachute.
Injuries and Fatalities
The pilot, a 53-year-old French national, was the sole occupant on board. He sustained fatal injuries. Witnesses reported that the pilot was conscious after the fall but was unable to move or respond to VHF radio calls. The group alerted emergency services including the Fire Department, European Emergency Number (112), National Emergency Medical Aid Center (EKAB), Hellenic Police, and Hellenic Rescue Team.
Damage to the Paraglider
Visual inspection of the pilot's equipment revealed minor abrasions to the left of the wing's leading edge, most probably caused on impact. No other damage was reported.
Additional Information
No weather information was provided in the fact-sheet. The operator was private, and the aircraft type was a paraglider (FFA). The registration was not applicable.