What happened
On June 17, 2015, a paragliding accident occurred near Weremie and involved an EDEN 4-25 (Macpara) paraglider. The pilot, who was experienced in both free flight and powered flight, was preparing for his fourth flight of the day. The weather conditions were characterized by thermal activity with a southern wind of approximately 1.5 m/s and gusts not exceeding 2.5 m/s.
Using an alpine-style takeoff method, the pilot completed all pre-flight checks, including wing layout and inflation. After the wing was inflated and positioned overhead, the pilot turned and took a step to initiate the launch. As the wing lifted the pilot to an altitude of approximately 1 meter, a sudden strong gust struck from the right side. In an attempt to abort the takeoff, the pilot pulled on the control lines. This action caused the wing to surge upward while simultaneously drifting approximately 10 meters forward and to the left toward a group of trees due to turbulent air. Because the movement was so rapid, the pilot could not react in time and continued to hold the control lines, which resulted in a wing stall. The pilot subsequently fell to the ground with increased velocity, sustaining serious spinal injuries.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot's takeoff coincided with the detachment of a thermal column, which unexpectedly thrust the pilot into an area of turbulent air. The investigation focused on the sequence of the pilot's manual inputs during the sudden gust and the subsequent aerodynamic behavior of the wing.