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Incident Reports (Informal)

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.

Hang Glider (Courtesy Bill Bell)

Incident reports are available in summary form for the following wing types:

Incident reports for all wing types 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.

or and

If available, total hours flown and hours flown in the previous six months are included below, with the latter displayed in brackets.

There are 3221 entries for all wing types

Displaying page 1 out of 323

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Date Pilot Location Wing Type Summary Injury
Incident Reports

Date
28.09.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
59

Rating:
P

Location
Herne Bay,
UK

Wind Strength:
15-20 km/h

Conditions:,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Unknown
Unknown

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
The airborne pilot submitting the report had to take action to avoid an aerial conflict with a pilot who had just launched into their flightpath.

Injury
Unhurt


Date
15.09.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
48

Rating:
CP

Location
Eype,
UK

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Nova
Ion 4

Summary
The pilot elected to top land in a field adjacent to the normal launch, in conditions where the wind strength was increasing. The pilot noted they were unable to push forward. Their wing was seen to collapse in rotor behind the cliff edge, and the pilot impacted the ground, sustaining injury.

Injury
Minor Injuries,
Hands, Arms, Shoulder


Date
14.09.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
34

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
10 years
350 hours
(35 hours)

Location
Draycott,
UK

Wind Strength:
20-25 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate,
Moderate Turbulence

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Advance
Sigma 11

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
After take-off, the pilot became aware that their harness pod would not close correctly and identified that an instrument tether line had tangled with a pod closure line, preventing the pod from closing. The pilot was able to correct the issue in flight.

Injury
Unhurt


Date
14.09.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
70

Rating:
AP

Flying Experience:
35 years
1000 hours
(17 hours)

Location
Northrepps Airfield,
UK

Wind Strength:
15-20 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate,
Moderate Turbulence,
Leeside

Wing Type
Powered HG

Wing:
Aeros
Adam 13-T

Launch Type:
Powered

Engine:
VITTORAZI,
MOSTER 185 MY20

Summary
The engine of the wheeled Sub 70 SPHG failed whilst on final approach. The aircraft encountered sinking air and the pilot opted to make an emergency landing in another field. The aircraft sustained damage on landing.

Injury
Minor Injuries,
Pelvis


Date
12.09.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
67

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
3 years
193 hours
(65 hours)

Location
Worcester Beacon,
UK

Wind Strength:
20-25 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate,
Moderate Turbulence

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Zoom
X2C

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Controlled airspace infringement. The pilot was formally debriefed after this incident, and reminded about the importance of observing airspace limits. The flight was excluded from all BHPA competition scoring.

Injury
Unhurt


Date
07.09.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
60

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
14 years
1000 hours
(20 hours)

Location
Unknown,
UK

Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h

Wing Type
Powered PG

Wing:
Paramania
Revo 3

Launch Type:
Powered

Engine:
Minari

Summary
The paramotor pilot experienced an engine failure shortly after launch and landed in long grass where they sustained injury.

Injury
Minor Injuries,
Feet, Legs


Date
03.09.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
60

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
9 years
500 hours
(60 hours)

Location
Le Chalvet,
France

Wind Strength:
5-10 km/h

Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Ozone
Photon

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
The pilot was competing in the British & Dutch Open Paragliding Championships. During the flight they found themselves low in a heavily wooded valley and landed uneventfully on a dry riverbed.

Injury
Unhurt


Date
31.08.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
50

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
15 years
391 hours
(8 hours)

Location
Tinto (South),
UK

Wind Strength:
5-10 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate,
Moderate Turbulence

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Air Design
Rise 4

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
The pilot fell over on take off and sustained injury.

Injury
Minor Injuries,
Feet, Legs


Date
30.08.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
65

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
23 years
170 hours
(5 hours)

Location
Not applicable,
UK

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
Woody Valley
Tenax 3 / Tenax 4 harnesses

Summary
During an inspection of the inside trim system on a Woody Valley Tenax 3 hang-gliding harness, it was discovered that one of the bolts that attach the posts to the backplate had become loose, allowing considerable movement of the post. A BHPA Safety Advisory (SC019) for the Woody Valley Tenax 3 (with "inside trim") and Tenax 4 harnesses has been issued. See the relevant page of the BHPA website for mare details.

Injury
Unhurt


Date
22.08.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
25

Rating:
Unqualified

Flying Experience:
Under a year

Location
Buching,
Germany

Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h

Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Independence
Cruiser 4

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Shortly after launch the pilot noticed that their emergency parachute had come out of the front-mounted outer container. The pilot was able to stow the parachute between their thighs, and they landed without further incident.

Injury
Unhurt

Last updated: 15 October 2024

Displaying page 1 out of 323

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A number of incident analysis reports are also available in the safety section of our website. These are compiled from the individual incident reports submitted during the course of each year.

 

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