HG - few details - Oct. 7

A visiting HG pilot who was not very current had some sort of event at the South side. He suffered a concussion but was released from the hospital the same day.

V deflation PG Injury 8/14

An experienced pilot launched the V on a C level glider in the early afternoon and took several low deflations with an associated dramatic turn. The event started at less than 100 feet. He suffered a variety of injuries too lengthly to mention but has made a great recovery and is able to enjoy skiing already this year.

He expressed his experience that the V in a north wind can be particularly unforgiving.

South Side PG top landing

A pilot ended up down wind on top of the south side. He tried to get it into wind last minute and ended up with a back injury.

Speed Flying Mahogany - few details

All we know is that there was a heli evac of a speed flyer in UT county. The pilot didn't want to share details.

South Side PG collision avoidance spin event accident

An experienced pilot was soaring the southside late in the morning and slightly active conditions when a traffic situation presented itself – he made a deliberate move to avoid another pilot and then a subsequent turn to orient into the wind for a top landing. He was observed to have spun the glider at low altitude.

The pilot remarked that his choice of his old glider was a contributing factor to the low level spin.

We are all reminded to weight shift in an athletic fashion – every single turn off our flying lives. Not just because it increases enjoyment confidence and performance but rather because it reduces the odds that we will suffer a spin event inadvertently when we need an emergency turn.

Finally – beware of the dangers of combining less than ideal equipment – changing conditions and traffic.

 The pilot was transported to the hospital but subsequently released with only minor injuries.

North Side bench paraglider circle into hill – back injury

An experienced pilot flying his new Acro glider for the first time was observed to be flying wildly in slightly turbulent post frontal conditions. He executed a circle at low altitude on the northside bench and met with of the hill resulting in a back injury.

This is the anatomy of a commonplace accident in which edgy conditions – new equipment and aggressive flying combined with a poor tactical decision and an accident.

All pilots are reminded of these factors and specifically that executing a circle on a low ridge with wind and sorted thermals is a slippery slope. We all do it but the choice to make a circle should not be taken lightly.

North Side high wind launch gone wrong – mini wing – ankle injury

An experienced mini wing pilot launching from the three-quarter north side launch had a wild take off with a partial deflation and some fries or twist that resulted in an encounter with the hill. His injury was a broken ankle.

He immediately released the brakes to steer from above the twist which was commendable but the event happened too quickly for him to steer away from the hill and correct the deflation
All pilots are reminded that steep launches in wind with little canopies happen quickly and we are all susceptible to this sort of random malfunction.

Student Ankle Injury

A PG student practicing side hill landings suffered an ankle injury requiring medical assistance from EMS.

Lone Peak PG Injury

An experienced pilot on a long cross country made a cell phone call to friends and pushed his Spot messenger 911 button. He did not remember the crash at the time but did suffer a fractured collar bone in three places and some neck and back injuries. Search and Rescue hiked to the 7400 foot level of Lone Peak and extracted this individual on a gurney which took many, many hours. He was hospitalized for a number of days. This highlights the importance of a Spot device. Also, please remember to check out your insurance coverage and see if they would cover the expense of a helicopter rescue, an injury due to flying, a rehab stay etc. (this post was edited on June 10th. to better reflect the actual facts)

Full Frontal Deflation off Launch - PG Injury

An excellent and experienced pilot took a frontal deflation off launch at a mtn. site in strong conditions. There was not sufficient altitude to recover despite his high skill level and correct responses to the event. The injury was to a single vertebrae - slight compression. Pilots are reminded that an assymetric deflation can be steered straight but a frontal simply takes time and altitude to recover. Also, as an aside, a glider that is old or out of trim will recover more slowly - consuming more altitude. It is recommended to learn your particular gliders full frontal recovery behavior in the proper environment with a coach.

Hang Glider non injury

A hang glider testing a new glider and harness configuration took off and flew briefly before landing (into the wind and pointed away from the hill) in the bushes just below launch. The pilots high hang position created a lack of authority which made the glider unmanageable.

Speed Flyer North Side Injury

A speed flyer took a low deflation on the North Side and suffered a head injury. Contributing factors were that it was 3:00 in the afternoon on a strong, north day. The pilot flew behind the parking area where he was susceptible to the effects of rotor turbulence from the houses. Items of note: the pilots trim tabs were set on fast which invites deflation and makes recovery take longer. Also, this particular location and condition has contributed to two notable speed flyer crashes over the last 4-5 years.

The Y PG - non injury

A pilot pushing the speed bar took a deflation and subsequently had some riser twists with a medium intensity spiral. Despite trying to throw the reserve, the G's precluded him from a successful deployment. He landed in snow and was able to hike out. A comprehensive report may be forthcoming.

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.