Feb. 23 Paraglider Acro ( west desert )

A paraglider practicing full stalls had a malfunction and deployed his reserve which tangled preventing it from opening completely.  The injuries were fatal. This post may be updated with further valuable information.

June 2013 N Side - Crash into Parking Lot w Injuries

During considerably strong and thermic conditions, a highly experienced pilot was on approach to land at the park while flying a hot 17m acro wing.  He chose to set up over the parking lot.  About 30-40' over the cars, he encountered some rough air indicative to the mid-afternoon conditions.  The correction inputs, in an attempt to keep the glider on track, resulted in a spin.  The lack of altitude left no options other than riding it into the ground.  He sustained several injuries including a broken wrist, as well as multiple fractures in his pelvis and left radius.

It's a much safer option to lose altitude and set up your approach over the HG landing field, West of the bathrooms.  Ideally, closer to the bench's edge.  In strong conditions, highly turbulent air can be found low and deep back on the bench from rotor.  That coupled with the thermals produced by the black top parking lot can create a dangerous situation...especially early when the sun is still high. 

June 15, 2013 - South Side - Glider Spin/Stall w Injuries

A fairly new P2 pilot had recently shortened his brakes in an effort to make his glider "more responsive".  A few days later, the glider was tested by his instructor, he was immediately warned that they were too short and could result in a spin or stall while attempting to make normal inputs.  He had also been warned to discontinue practice of wing-overs until further coaching could be done high over water with a qualified instructor.

Late in the morning on the South Side, in thermic conditions, the pilot was sinking out part way down the hill.  Once he realized that he wasn't going to make it back up for a top landing, he started doing wing-overs near the terrain to quickly kill altitude before a landing at the bottom.  Upon exit of his last wing-over, his glider surged forward and his inputs (with unreasonably short brake lines) put the glider into a spin.  He fell from aprox 25' and impacted the flats at the foot of the hill.

He suffered a broken wrist, bruised hip and fairly serious concussion.     

North Side Traffic - Controlled Flight Into Terrain - Injury

A visiting pilot of unknown experience level was taking his first flight on the north side in crowded conditions.  He had received a site briefing and had been soaring for 10 minutes – got in a tight traffic situation and turned toward the hill – was unable to turn away…

The take away from this event is threefold;

Number one try not to let the story be that the traffic caused you to turn toward the hill - better to turn away from the hill early then at the hill late.

Number two, if you must land into a piece of terrain, a person or an object like a vehicle then still flare completely before meeting the object – paragliders are slow enough that with a full flare an encounter with an object can be semi uneventful. 

Number three, if you anticipate an encounter with the terrain then continue to look and lean and turn away - flare and fly the glider throughout the impact in an effort to decrease the velocity of the encounter with the terrain.

The pilots sentiment post event was that he wish he would have headed out to land earlier as he had already had a nice flight and since the traffic was getting worse.

The pilot suffered a fracture of the L2 vertebra.

North Side - Low Full Frontal - No Injury

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Early in the evening, when conditions were still strong, a highly experienced and talented pilot launched a high-performance acro glider.  Lift was strong, so the pilot immediately went up upon reaching the end of the finger.  At about 40 feet, the glider suffered a violent full frontal collapse and the pilot dropped.  Just a few feet from impact in a gully, the glider re-inflated and surged forward.  The pilot had the presence of mind to bury the brakes to keep the glider from 'diving'.  Given the circumstances and how close this was happening to the ground, this action may have helped avoid a harder impact.  Pilot impacted the hill on the steepest part of a gully in very soft sand avoiding any injury.

He was quick to acknowledge that he rushed to the park from work and was in a hurry to get into the sky without full analysis of the conditions.  He also remarked that his "head wasn't fully in it".

The take-away: If you are in a rush to get airborne, it's always good to check yourself, take a deep breath and stop to smell the roses.  It never hurts to chat with other trusted pilots that have been sitting on the hill observing the conditions for hours.  Methodically put the pieces of the puzzle together and make an informed decision.   

Glider in power line - No injury

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

A experienced pilot landing in a large field near Mapleton, UT after a cross country
flight was aware of a line of small pole power lines running through the
field. However, as the pilot was in the final stages of landing
(approximately 10 feet above the ground), the pilot saw an additional
small pole power line running perpendicular to the main power lines. 
Since there was no room to turn, the pilot applied full brakes and
passed under the power lines.  The pilot landed safely, however, the
glider sustained burn damage in several cells when part of the wing
contacted the power lines.

Small pole power lines can be virtually invisible from above, and can
extend in multiple directions.  In addition, the pilot was so focused on
checking ground speed (i.e. looking at the GPS) and checking the field
for obstacles that the pilot did not see the additional power lines
until it was too late. The pilot should have practiced better situation
awareness and was fortunate to escape uninjured.

North Side Spin Stall PG Injury

A pilot flying in light, cross wind + thermals at the North Side ( w. traffic ) executed a low 360, over braked and caused the glider to spin and then stall. After the glider spun and subsequently stalled the pilot stayed deep in the brakes. The glider did not recover. He was transported by ambulance, injuries unknown.

Don't make low circles in thermals and always exercise maximum weight shift when expediting the completion of a turn. This minimizes the amount of brake necessary/ reduces the odds of inadvertent spin. In order to make good weight shift in an emergency, pilots need to weight shift every single turn, every single day. That is why it is so heavily stressed in some training. We owe it to ourselves to be athletic in the harness.