What happened
On April 27, 2019, during the Polish Paragliding Landing Accuracy Championships held at the Przylep (EPZP) airfield near Zielona Góra, a paraglider pilot was preparing for takeoff. The pilot, who held a PGP qualification and possessed approximately 500 flight hours, was in the process of inflating the Sky paragliders Antea wing. During this inflation phase, a sudden thermal wind gust occurred, lifting the paraglider and the pilot to an altitude of approximately 2 meters.
As the pilot fell to the ground, they attempted to break the fall by bracing with their left arm, resulting in an injury to the elbow joint. Due to the severity of the pain, emergency medical services were summoned to the scene and transported the pilot to a hospital for medical evaluation, where the elbow injury was confirmed.
The investigation
Following the incident, the police attended the site to inspect the scene and interview witnesses. The pilot underwent a breathalyzer test, which returned a result of 0.00 mg/l, confirming no alcohol impairment. The investigation focused on the atmospheric conditions at the time of the takeoff attempt.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a sudden thermal wind gust.
- No contributing circumstances were identified.