What happened
On 14 December 2020, an ITV Wings BOXER 2M paramotor, registration 83AWI, was involved in a fatal accident over the Port-Fréjus marina in France. The pilot had taken off from a nearby field earlier that morning as part of a group flight involving two other paramotor pilots. After flying along the coast toward Saint-Raphael, the group turned back toward the port.
As the aircraft flew at a low altitude—estimated by witnesses to be between 60 and 300 meters—the area experienced a sudden meteorological shift. A wind front moved through the area, causing a 180-degree change in wind direction at ground level and introducing gusts of up to 11 knots. During this period of instability, the paramotor's wing suffered a massive closure. The aircraft entered a spiral descent and a "parachutal phase," characterized by a steep nose-down attitude. Although the wing eventually re-inflated, the pilot was at too low an altitude to recover. The aircraft collided with a concrete pontoon in the marina, resulting in one fatality and the destruction of the microlight.
The investigation
The BEA examined the wreckage, the engine, and the wing configuration. The investigation included an analysis of port security camera footage, which captured the aircraft's final moments in a right-hand spiral and a steep descent. Investigators also reviewed the pilot's training records, noting he had only logged approximately 3 hours and 50 minutes of flight time on this specific type of aircraft.
Technical analysis of the wing revealed that the trim settings were configured to a nose-down position, with a slight asymmetry between the left and right risers. The engine and harness were found to be in good working order, and the wing's lines and fabric were intact prior to the impact.