What happened
On May 31, 2013, a student paraglider was participating in a training course at the Międzybrodzie Żywieckie airfield. The training program, which had commenced the previous day, involved ground exercises and practical flight instruction on a slope. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were considered very favorable for instructional flights, characterized by a light, laminar southern wind.
During the student's fifth flight of the day, approximately at 18:00, the instructor issued a command to execute a right-hand turn. While at an altitude of roughly 4 to 5 meters, the student applied a sudden and excessive amount of brake input. This aggressive maneuver caused a sharp change in the flight path and likely induced a partial stall of the wing. When the student subsequently released the brake line, the wing gained speed and surged forward, creating a pendulum effect. Consequently, the student landed heavily on one leg, resulting in a broken right leg.
The investigation
The investigation was conducted based on information provided by the training organization. The inquiry examined the flight maneuvers, the student's actions following the instructor's command, and the resulting aerodynamic behavior of the Katanga L (UP) paraglider wing. The investigation also reviewed the instructor's qualifications and the airworthiness status of the equipment, noting that the wing's certificate of airworthiness was valid at the time of the incident.