What happened
On May 9, 2020, at approximately 13:00 LMT, a pilot attempted a recreational flight from the northern launch site at Góra Żar. The meteorological conditions for takeoff were challenging; while there was no gradient wind, thermal gusts were present. These thermal columns caused the wind direction to shift clockwise, making approximately half of the takeoff attempts unsuccessful.
After checking the surface wind direction via site indicators, the pilot proceeded with the launch. During the inflation of the wing, the right brake handle slipped from the pilot's hand and snapped into its magnetic holder. Because the pilot was wearing thick, slippery ski gloves, they were unable to regain a grip on the brake handle to re-establish control of the wing. The Advance Jota wing inflated asymmetrically, tilting to the right, while the wind direction simultaneously shifted to the west. This caused the wing to accelerate rapidly to the right, resulting in the pilot colliding with a metal fence belonging to a pumped-storage power station reservoir. The impact caused serious injuries to the pilot.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined the sequence of events, the meteorological conditions at the time of the accident, and the equipment used. The investigation focused on the pilot's ability to manipulate the controls during the inflation phase and the impact of the thermal activity on the wind direction at the launch site. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's gear, specifically the gloves worn during the operation.