What happened
On August 30, 2015, at approximately 13:50, a paraglider pilot was involved in an incident near Między_brodzie Żywieckie. While flying approximately 100 meters away from the designated landing area, the pilot experienced a loss of lift. This loss of lift necessitated an emergency landing maneuver. During the descent, the paraglider became caught in a tree, leaving the pilot suspended approximately 2 meters above the ground. Police officers patrolling the area discovered the pilot in this position.
The investigation
The investigation was conducted based on official information provided by the Police. The pilot, a 28-year-old male holding a paragliding pilot certificate issued in 2013, did not report the occurrence through the mandatory aviation occurrence reporting system within the required 72-hour window, despite receiving a reminder from authorities. The investigation noted that no damage to the paraglider was identified following the event, and the pilot sustained no injuries.
Findings
Based on the police reports, the probable cause of the incident was poor flight tactics. This included improper decision-making regarding the search for thermals (lift), inadequate assessment of altitude, and failures in planning the approach to the landing site.