What happened
On February 10, 2008, at approximately 16:00, two paramotors departed from the Saint-Éloi-les-Mines ultralight platform for a local flight within the Sioule valley. The flight involved two private pilots, one of whom was acting as an instructor guiding the other on a discovery flight of the region.
During the flight, the pilot of the 63-ZV (an ITV Tsampa paramotor) encountered turbulence that caused his headset to fall off. Shortly after, the engine began to misfire, leading the pilot to suspect that the headset might have been ingested by the propeller. Deciding to perform an emergency landing in a field, the pilot attempted to signal his intentions to the second pilot. However, upon looking down, he observed the other aircraft positioned within the trees.
Simultaneously, the pilot of the 63-ZT (an ITV Dakota paramotor) reported being caught in a downdraft caused by turbulence. As the aircraft descended, the pilot observed the legs of the instructor's aircraft positioned slightly above him. The wing of the 63-ZT struck the propeller of the 63-ZV, causing the 63-ZT to enter an uncontrollable descending turn and strike trees. The collision resulted in one serious injury to the pilot of the 63-ZT.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the contact between the two aircraft and the mechanical issues reported by the first pilot. Investigators examined the wreckage of both aircraft and the flight conditions at the time of the accident.
Physical evidence confirmed the impact between the two aircraft. The wing of the 6LT-ZT showed a lacerated left wingtip and several severed lines. Furthermore, fabric debris from the 63-ZT was recovered from the propeller blades of the 63-ZV. The investigation also noted that the two pilots had planned to fly in close proximity to one another to facilitate hand signals, as their radio equipment was non-functional.