Paraglider Accident at The Lady’s Stairs, Skerries, Ireland

Accident Overview and Investigation Details On 7 September 2024, a BGD, base-ML Paraglider (Serial Number: XBG0313221A, manufactured in 2015) was involved in an accident at The Lady’s Stairs, Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland. The Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of Ireland published its factual report on 20 May 2025, identifying the occurrence as AAIU Report No: 2025-005 and State File No: IRL00924030. The Chief Inspector of Air Accidents appointed Brendan Sweeney as the Investigator-in-Charge. The operation was classified as private, with one crew member on board and no passengers. The pilot, aged 36, had approximately 55 hours of flying experience and did not require a licence. The pilot sustained serious injuries, while the paraglider sustained minor damage. ## Flight History and Sequence of Events The pilot had monitored the weather from the previous evening, noting a forecast wind shift from easterly to north-easterly that would make conditions unfavourable for the planned coastal soaring route. Upon arrival, the pilot assessed the actual wind and estimated that 20–30 minutes of coastal ridge-soaring would be possible before a tailwind component would compromise safety. The pilot noted that the tide was out, leaving a sandy beach available for an emergency landing. During the launch, the pilot walked toward the cliff edge with the canopy inflated overhead and reported that the flight had already commenced, describing the wind as “just about perfect.” After take-off, the pilot initiated a right turn to track parallel to the coastline but soon began losing lift. The pilot manoeuvred toward the cliff edge in an attempt to gain lift from the airflow moving up the cliff face. The paraglider descended below the cliff top, and the canopy began scraping and snagging along the vertical cliff surface. The pilot’s attention was drawn overhead by the canopy contact, and the continuous loss of height prevented a turn toward the beach. The paraglider impacted a rocky area below the cliff at Barnageeragh beach, where the tide was incoming. ## Rescue, Weather, and Damage Assessment The Skerries Coast Guard Unit, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), and an Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopter responded to the scene. The pilot was airlifted to hospital. The Dublin Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) notified the AAIU, and two inspectors deployed to the scene while the pilot was being evacuated. The on-scene weather observation provided by the MRCC at 0811Z on 7 September 2024 recorded wind from the northeast at 3 knots, slight sea, low wave swell, air temperature of 15.5°C, water temperature of 10.3°C, good visibility, few clouds, and no rain. An examination of the paraglider canopy, control lines, and harness, conducted with the assistance of a subject matter expert, identified no issues that would have adversely affected performance and no damage attributable to the accident. The investigation measured the launch area at 17 metres above the beach, and the distance from take-off to impact was approximately 362 metres. The Irish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (IHPA) classified the location as a “50-Hour site,” recommending that pilots have at least 50 hours of experience before flying there. ## Technical and Operational Context A paraglider consists of an inflatable canopy with an aerofoil cross-section, a harness worn by the pilot, and lines attached to the canopy that connect to risers secured to the harness. The lines attached to the trailing edges are connected to handholds known as “brakes,” which the pilot uses to control speed and direction, in addition to weight-shifting. The subject model is produced with accelerator riser lines that connect to the leading edges of the canopy and can be operated by a foot-controlled “speed stirrup” to vary the canopy’s geometry and alter speed. On the subject paraglider, a speed stirrup was not connected, and the manufacturer did not require one to be connected. Coastal soaring uses the vertical flow of air created when coastal winds meet terrain such as ridges or cliffs, with the air travelling upwards along the ridge face and continuing to rise beyond the top. The amount of lift generated depends on variables including ridge height, slope, surface characteristics, wind speed, and wind direction. Turbulent air exists at the base of the ridge where it is trapped and in the blowback area at the top as the airflow breaks over the ridge surface. The usable vertical component of environmental airflow for gliding is located just forward of the ridge edge, running parallel to it. The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA) Pilot Handbook states that the ideal wind for launching meets the ridge face perpendicularly. If the wind is not perpendicular, this should be considered and planned for before launching. Once airborne and climbing, a turn to fly parallel to the ridge should be conducted. If the wind is not perpendicular to the ridge, the initial turn should be into the wind. If the turn is conducted too steeply after take-off, the paraglider will be blown back to the ridge surface; if too shallow, it will fly away from the ridge and out of the lift band, possibly forcing a landing on the surface below. The BHPA Pilot Handbook also provides guidance that the wind should be blowing straight onto the face of the hill or cliff intended for soaring, at 19–26 km/hr for paragliders without gusts. If the wind is a few degrees off the face, the pilot should note the direction in which they will be flying more into wind with a slower groundspeed and the direction that will be more downwind with a higher groundspeed. In lighter winds, the lift band is small and close to the hill or cliff, creating a temptation to stay up by flying very close to the terrain as slowly as possible, which has resulted in injuries to many pilots.