What happened
On the morning of 18 June 2019, a pilot launched a Gin Atlas XL paraglider from the God’s Window launch site in the Ehlanzeni district of Mpumalanga. The flight began under moderate to strong wind conditions, with gusts reaching 18 knots. After an initial successful launch, the pilot proceeded to fly north along the mountain ridge for approximately 6.5 kilometres.
During the flight, the aircraft encountered turbulence while descending toward the escarpment side of the mountain. This turbulence caused the paraglider canopy to collapse, forcing the aircraft into a rapid, anti-clockwise spiral. Flight data from the pilot's variometer indicated that the aircraft drifted 1.5km back over the escarpment. The descent rate accelerated significantly, reaching -16.4 metres per second, which far exceeded the recommended maximum descent rate of 5 metres per second. Although the pilot attempted to deploy the reserve parachute, the device failed to deploy. The pilot sustained fatal injuries upon impact with the ground.
The investigation
An investigation conducted by an expert from the South African Hang Gliding and Paragiding Association (SAHPA), under the direction of the SACAA AIID, examined the wreckage and flight data. The investigation confirmed that the Gin Atlas XL and its associated harness were in a serviceable condition prior to the flight.
Analysis of the variometer instrument revealed that the high-speed descent occurred just seconds before impact at an altitude of approximately 23 metres above ground level. The investigation also noted that while the pilot had successfully extricated the reserve parachute, it did not function as intended during the emergency. The impact was determined to be non-survivable due to the extreme force involved.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the encounter with turbulence along the mountain ridge, which induced a canopy collapse and subsequent spiral descent.
- The descent rate of -16.4 m/s was significantly higher than the safe operational limit of 5 m/s.
- A contributing factor was that the pilot attempted to deploy the reserve parachute at an altitude of no more than 150 metres, which was deemed too low to ensure a safe deployment.