What happened
On April 24, 2016, at approximately 11:33 UTC, a paraglider accident occurred on the southwest slope of Ranná Mountain. The pilot was performing slope soaring along the northwest face of the mountain, an area where approximately ten other paragliders were flying at the time. The pilot had been flying in close proximity to the terrain for about 10 minutes after taking off from the saddle.
During the flight, the pilot executed a right turn and began moving away from the slope. During this maneuver, the right side of the wing's leading edge partially collapsed, causing the ASPEN 4-24 to spontaneously rotate approximately 180 degrees to the right. Although the wing quickly regained its flight configuration, the rotation placed the pilot on a direct course toward the terrain. The pilot failed to react to the wing's movement, and the aircraft subsequently struck the slope just below the peak of 'Malé boule' at high speed. The pilot sustained fatal injuries at the scene.
The investigation
Investigators from the ÚZPLN examined evidence including witness statements from other pilots and footage from several action cameras mounted on pilots' helmets. The investigation established that while the pilot was a licensed pilot, he had been training on this specific high-performance EN-C wing as a self-taught flyer without instructor supervision.
Technical analysis of the ASPEN 4-24 revealed the wing was in a serviceable condition, though the total takeoff weight was noted to be 97 kg, exceeding the manufacturer's maximum limit of 90 kg. The investigation also included a toxicological analysis of the pilot.