What happened
On August 2, 2018, a paragliding flight ended in a fatal accident near Góra Skrzyczne, located near Szczyrk, Poland. The pilot launched from the summit of the mountain, performing a solo flight without establishing contact with other pilots operating from the airfield. After several minutes of flight, at an altitude of approximately 80 meters, the wing partially collapsed.
This deformation led to an autorotation of the Cayenne 4 LTF 2 paraglider and a rapid increase in descent rate. The aircraft struck the ground at the site of a radio and television broadcasting center. Witnesses at the scene attempted to perform resuscitation on the pilot until the arrival of an Air Ambulance (LPR) helicopter. Medical personnel took over resuscitation efforts, but the pilot was pronounced dead approximately one hour later.
The investigation
The preliminary investigation established that the pilot was conducting a solo flight and that the accident occurred due to a structural deformation of the paraglider wing during flight. The investigation confirmed that the impact with the ground resulted in the immediate death of the pilot.