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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.

Square parascending canopy (Courtesy Pete Brunt)

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.

If you want to search by incident date, please enter the day, month and year numerically as dd-mm-yyyy (eg. 03-12-2019).

or and

If known, total hours and total flights flown are displayed below together with hours and flights flown in the past six months, the latter being displayed in brackets.

There are 3239 entries for all wing types

Displaying page 86 out of 324

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Date Pilot Location Wing Type Summary Injury
Incident Reports

Date
30.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Age:
43

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
15 years

84 hours
(3 hours)

280 flights
(6 flights)

Location
Whitewool, Hampshire,
Clanfield, Hampshire,
UK

Wind Strength:
20-25 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate,
Moderate Turbulence

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Gin Gliders
Sprint 3

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Pilot spun glider while attempting to dampen a surge caused by coming out of a turn in thermic conditions. Pilot lost control and crashed through trees.

Injury
Pilot:
Minor Injuries,

Lumbar Spine

Date
30.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Age:
55

Flying Experience:
7 years

6 flights

Location
Loose Bottom,
Brighton,
UK

Wind Strength:
10-15 km/h

Conditions:
Calm,
Light Turbulence

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Airwave
Wave

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Student pilot slowed to minimum sink speed on approach as instructed, but failed to flare until after landing. Later conversation with student revealed only 10% vision in one eye. (i.e. poor binocular vision.)

Injury
Pilot:
Seriously Injured,

Feet, Legs

Date
29.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Rating:
Pilot/Coach

Flying Experience:
23 years

1430 hours
(101 hours)

Location
Wrynose.,
Cumbria,
UK

Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h

Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Advance
Iota2

Summary
Pilot caught harness on rock while pushing back to the front of the ridge in weak conditions. Glider collapsed causing pilot to fall on to grassy area below. Pilot was then dragged through boulders as glider reinflated.

Injury
Pilot:
Minor Injuries

Date
29.06.2018

Pilot
Unknown
Location
Workshop,
Glynde,
UK

Wing Type
Paraglider

Summary
During repack the pilot noticed that the rearmost retailing elastic had been drawn inside the grommet of the middle elastic. This made extraction extremely difficult requiring significant force.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
27.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Age:
50

Rating:
CP

Flying Experience:
9 years


Location
BALLYCARY FIELD,
CARRICKFERGUS,
UK

Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h

Conditions:,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Powered PG

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Pilot lost control of his glider on approach to landing. Possible collapse/stall. Pilot landed heavily.

Injury
Pilot:
Seriously Injured

Date
27.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Age:
60

Rating:
CP

Flying Experience:
11 years


Location
Treak Cliff,
Castleton Derbyshire,
UK

Wind Strength:
25-30 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate,
Strong Turbulence

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Unknown


Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Pilot landed in a tree attempting to avoid power lines having been unable to penetrate in strong conditions.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
25.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Age:
47

Flying Experience:
9 years

5 hours
(4 hours)

50 flights
(40 flights)

Location
Skiddaw,
Keswick,
UK

Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h

Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Nova
Ion 3

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Student on final approach to land in field, came in too high in nil wind and put in a hard turn just before landing as was worried he was running out of room. Glider swung towards ground as pilot flared hard, pilots arm hit ground fully outstretched during flair resulting in injury to wrist.

Injury
Pilot:
Seriously Injured,

Hands, Arms, Shoulder

Date
24.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Age:
49

Rating:
CP

Flying Experience:
24 years

50 hours
(5 hours)

40 flights
(10 flights)

Location
Cutthorpe,
Chesterfield,
UK

Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h

Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Powered PG

Wing:
Praavis
Acrobat

Launch Type:
Powered

Engine:
Bailey,
175

Summary
Pilot veered towards dry stone wall while heavily loaded, not realising his trimmers were asymmetrically set. Pilot clipped top of wall and fell down the other side.

Injury
Pilot:
Seriously Injured,

Hands, Arms, Shoulder

Date
23.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Age:
50

Rating:
CP

Flying Experience:
21 years

200 hours
(6 hours)

41 flights
(8 flights)

Location
Westbury,
Trowbridge,
UK

Wind Strength:
10-15 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate,
Strong Turbulence

Wing Type
Flexwing Hang Glider

Wing:
Wills Wing
Sport 2

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Pilot made hurried launch in order to catch thermal upcycle, but failed to check true wind direction and made uncoordinated take-off with insufficient speed. Glider turned in towards side of hill sharply. Pilot applied full control weight shift to avoid collision with hill and went on to complete normal flight.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
23.06.2018

Pilot
Male

Age:
37

Rating:
CP

Flying Experience:
1 hour
(1 hour)

Location
Mount Caburn,
Lewes,
UK

Wind Strength:
15-20 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate,
Moderate Turbulence

Wing Type
Paraglider

Wing:
Unknown
Unknown

Launch Type:
Foot

Summary
Pilot crash landed in a deep water ditch sustaining injuries to his legs. Pilot was rescued by other pilots as he was in danger of drowning.

Injury
Pilot:
Seriously Injured,

Feet, Legs

Last updated: 5 January 2025

Displaying page 86 out of 324

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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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