What happened
On November 21, 2021, a recreational paramotor flight took place near Łęg Tarnowski, Poland. The pilot was operating a Nucleon Cabrio 42 wing mounted on a Zenith two-seater trolley, powered by a 100-hp engine. The takeoff was performed from a private, temporary landing field located near the pilot's residence.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft began to veer to the right. Despite the pilot's attempts to maintain course using the left brake, the aircraft continued to turn. As the aircraft climbed, the wing experienced a progressive deformation, leading to a stall and an uncontrolled rotation. Just before the impact with the ground, the pilot reduced engine power to a minimum. The collision resulted in serious injuries to the pilot and significant damage to the paramotor trolley, including structural failures in the protective cage and the instrument panel.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation included an analysis of video footage recorded by a witness, which captured the takeoff sequence and the visible deformation of the wing. The footage revealed that the trailing edge of the wing was already distorted on the right side from the moment the wing was inflated.
Upon physical inspection of the equipment, investigators identified a specific kink in one of the load-bearing lines. It was determined that this line had become snagged on the speed-system handle, which is located on the harness behind the pilot's seat. The investigation also noted that the pilot's pre-flight inspection failed to detect this entanglement, and the location of the handle made it difficult to observe or correct during flight.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a persistent wing deformation caused by a load-bearing line snagging on the speed-system handle.
- The pilot misidentified the loss of directional control as being caused by the effect of the propeller torque and the crosswind, rather than the mechanical interference with the wing lines.
- The position of the speed-system handle, situated behind the pilot and outside their direct field of vision, contributed to the inability to detect or rectify the issue during the takeoff roll.