Incident reports received by the BHPA are available in summary form on this page. If you're looking for reports of formal investigations undertaken in the case of a serious incident, please visit our Incident Reports (formal investigations) page.
Incident reports for rigid hang glider wings are displayed below in summary form.
The BHPA incident reports database is fully searchable. To refine your search you can specify a particular wing type and select "or" or "and". For example, if you want to search for paraglider incidents at Hay Bluff, for best search results select paraglider from the drop down list and the "and" option.
If available, total hours flown and hours flown in the previous six months are included below, with the latter displayed in brackets.
| Date |
Pilot |
Location |
Wing Type |
Summary |
Injury |
|
31.08.2020 |
Male
Age:
26
Rating:
P
Flying Experience:
8 years
41 hours
(2 hours)
|
Sutton Meadows Airstrip,
UK
Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h
Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
Flight Design
Exxtacy
Launch Type:
Aero Tow |
The pilot was attempting a nil-wind landing and had insufficient flap applied. Upon touchdown, his foot slipped and twisted, causing injury. The pilot considered his footwear not to have been appropriate and therefore a factor in the incident.
|
Minor Injuries,
Feet, Legs
|
|
11.07.2020 |
Male
Age:
61
Rating:
AP
Flying Experience:
44 years
501 hours
(4 hours)
|
Llangollen,
UK
Wind Strength:
20-25 km/h
Conditions:
Moderate,
Moderate Turbulence |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
A.I.R
Atos C
Launch Type:
Foot |
The left wingtip contacted the ground prior to take-off. In flight, the pilot noticed that left turns led to tip stall and incipient spin. Upon landing the pilot found the lower hinge on the outermost permanently attached rib had failed, leading to the untensioning of the outer rib.
|
Unhurt |
|
30.05.2020 |
Male
Rating:
CP
|
Malverns Black Hill,
UK
Wind Strength:
15-20 km/h
Conditions:
Strong,
Moderate Turbulence |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
ICARO
Stratos
Launch Type:
Foot |
Pilot lost control of the glider due to a failure in the control system, and collided with trees. He subsequently found that a spoiler wire was tangled around a rib.
|
Minor Injuries |
|
18.05.2020 |
Male
Age:
68
Rating:
P
Flying Experience:
45 years
(4 hours)
|
Freathy,
UK
Wind Strength:
35-40 km/h
Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
AIR
ATOS VQ
Launch Type:
Foot |
The right hand leg loop of the pilot's Woody Valley Tenax 3 harness became detached on launch. The pilot was able to re-attach the buckle in flight.
|
Unhurt |
|
15.05.2020 |
Male
Age:
64
Rating:
P
Flying Experience:
12 years
320 hours
(12 hours)
|
Bo Peep,
UK
Wind Strength:
10-15 km/h
Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
Air Design
Atos v
Launch Type:
Foot |
Pilot encountered heavy sink while attempting to make an upslope landing. Pilot tried to turn away from the hill to bottom land but sinking air meant he landed in trees.
|
Unhurt |
|
24.08.2019 |
Male
Age:
60
Rating:
AP
Flying Experience:
39 years
2500 hours
(59 hours)
|
Coll D’Ares,
Spain
Wind Strength:
5-10 km/h
Conditions:
Strong,
Light Turbulence |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
A.I.R
ATOS VQ11
Launch Type:
Foot |
Pilot misrigged glider while on the last day of a comp. Rib had not located on one side of the wing causing a flutter in the wing and a shudder on the basebar at speed. Pilot landed safely.
|
Unhurt |
|
25.05.2019 |
Male
Age:
62
Rating:
P
Flying Experience:
33 years
|
Long Mynd,
UK
Wind Strength:
10-15 km/h
Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
A.I.R
Atos C
Launch Type:
Foot |
Nose section came adrift from glider while thermalling causing the glider to handle erratically.
|
Pilot:
Unhurt
Passenger:
Unhurt |
|
10.03.2018 |
Male
Age:
57
Rating:
AP
Flying Experience:
44 years
4000 hours
(25 hours)
|
Ringstead,
UK
Wind Strength:
30-35 km/h
Conditions:
Calm,
Light Turbulence |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
AIR
VR+
Launch Type:
Foot |
While coastal soaring in strong and fluctuating winds pilot found himself in sinking air with limited safe landing options. Pilot landed on rocky area but was able to avoid injury by flaring hard and landing vertically.
|
Unhurt |
|
13.08.2017 |
Male
Age:
54
Rating:
P
Flying Experience:
34 years
1200 hours
(30 hours)
|
Sibson, Nuneaton,
UK
Wind Strength:
5-10 km/h
Conditions:
Moderate,
Not Turbulent |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
Air Design
ATOS VR
Launch Type:
Aero Tow |
Pilot released from aerotow when glider went off-line before getting airborne. The right wing tip touched down pulling the pilot out of the trolley causing damage to an upright.
|
Minor Injuries |
|
23.04.2017 |
Male
Age:
57
Rating:
P
Flying Experience:
33 years
350 hours
(7 hours)
|
Sibson,
UK
Wind Strength:
5-10 km/h
Conditions:
Moderate,
Moderate Turbulence |
Rigid Hang Glider
Wing:
AIR
ATOS V |
Pilot put new wires on Atos V glider. Pilot felt glider was not right but could not find fault. Later pilot discovered the sheathing on the new wires on one side was bunched up. It appears the locating sleeve at the bottom of the uprights has not been crimped properly to the wire and has been sliding back and forth, being retained by the plastic sheathing on previous flights.
|
Unhurt |
|
Go to: Incident Reports (formal investigations)
|
|
Go to: Annual Incident Analysis Reports
|
