What happened
On July 14, 2017, at approximately 20:00, a paraglider pilot was operating in the vicinity of Gierzwald. During the flight, the pilot descended to a lower altitude and struck a cable television line that had been strung between residential buildings. The impact caused the pilot to fall to the ground, resulting in a broken right femur.
The investigation
The investigation examined the circumstances surrounding the descent and the visibility conditions at the time of the accident. The investigation established that the pilot failed to notice the presence of the cables due to the late hour and likely poor visibility. Because the paraglider was being operated in violation of applicable regulations, the PKBWL declined to conduct a full aviation accident investigation.