History of the Flight
On 29 October 2020 at 16:54 local time, the pilot of a paramotor glider took off from a field in Chalepianes, Cyprus, heading west. After climbing to a safe altitude, he turned left towards the east. At approximately 250 feet above ground, he initiated a left turn for a final approach. During the approach, he turned right and then abruptly left. According to an eyewitness, the second turn appeared very steep, generating excessive rotational speed, causing the wing to invert with the pilot above it. The pilot remained strapped in as the paramotor fell into the wing, placing him in a difficult, possibly unrecoverable position due to low altitude and proximity to the ground. After the wing inverted, the witness saw the paramotor and pilot descending in a spiral with no apparent recovery actions or reserve parachute deployment. The aircraft crashed to the ground. The witness approached and found the pilot unconscious, without pulse or breathing, with fingers clenched. Assisted by other witnesses, CPR was performed for 25 minutes without success. Two additional witnesses corroborated this account.
Injuries to Persons
The pilot sustained fatal injuries. No other persons were injured.
Damage to Aircraft
Both propeller tips were damaged, the external circular frame was slightly bent, and the pilot seat was torn. The harness was cut to free the pilot.
Personnel Information
The pilot was 31 years old, a computer science graduate, and worked as a professor at the Rizokarpaso Gymnasium. He was an active athlete, an experienced skydiver, and a competent paramotor pilot, having trained on the paramotor glider in August 2020.
Aircraft Information
The paramotor glider consisted of a Maverick frame, a Vitorazzi Motors Moster 185cc engine (serial number CRC006668), an EP-H80-2-1,25L 701F Most 2,67 E-Prop propeller, an Ozone Spyder 24 wing (serial number SD24-R-16D-004), and a Dudek harness (certification EN 926-2).
Meteorological Information
At approximately 17:00 local time on 29 October 2020, the nearest weather station (Athalassa) reported a temperature of 25°C, humidity 35%, visibility between 30-40 km, and westerly winds of 4-6 knots.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot was reportedly fit and active. On the day of the flight, he complained of back pain and had undergone a massage. The autopsy determined the cause of death.