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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.

Paraglider

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

Incident reports for other 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 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 29 entries for other wings

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Date Pilot Location Wing Type Summary Injury
Incident Reports

Date
14.12.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
65

Rating:
AP

Flying Experience:
40 years


Location
North Luffenham airfield,
Rutland,
UK

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
Companion
SQR 120

Summary
During an emergency parachute repack event the deployment was tested and failed as the Companion inner container deployment bag (containing the packed EP) could not be extracted from the harness (handle strop too short). The inner container supplied with the Gin Genie Lite 3 harness was substituted, and the extraction of the EP was tested as satisfactory.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
30.08.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
65

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
24 years

170 hours
(5 hours)

400 flights
(20 flights)

Location
Not applicable,
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
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
26.08.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
58

Rating:
PPL

Flying Experience:
22 years

413 hours
(5 hours)

903 flights
(9 flights)

Location
Old Park Farm,
Port Talbot,
UK

Wind Strength:
20-25 km/h

Conditions:,
Moderate Turbulence

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
Medway
Clipper

Launch Type:
Powered

Engine:
Medway,
Clipper

Summary
On landing approach the aircraft encountered rotor from a line of trees and landed heavily on the port wheel. The pilot initiated a go-around and was informed by radio that the undercarriage was not usable for landing (port wheelstay had failed). On landing approach after two practice approaches the aircraft impacted the ground after contacting a hedge. The pilot exited the aircraft uninjured.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
02.06.2024

Pilot
Male

Age:
61

Rating:
NPPL

Flying Experience:
4 years

167 hours
(25 hours)

Location
Sutton Meadows,
Cambridgeshire,
UK

Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h

Conditions:,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
P&M
Quick

Launch Type:
Powered

Engine:
Rotax,
912UL

Summary
The flexwing microlight aircraft veered off the runway during take off run.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
22.03.2024

Pilot
Unknown
Location
N/A: repacking,
UK

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
Sol
Squad Light 57 Bi Emergency Parachute

Summary
During a routine repack of the emergency parachute the lines did not cleanly separate. A test inflation was slow, the lines appearing to be tangled (which they were not). The repacker reported that a subsequent test inflation came out cleanly.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
17.11.2023

Pilot
Male

Age:
45

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
32 years

545 hours
(60 hours)

Location
Darley Moor,
Ashbourne,
UK

Wind Strength:
5-10 km/h

Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
Aeros
NiNE (SSDR)

Launch Type:
Powered

Engine:
Polini,
303

Summary
The pilot was undertaking a flight on this single seat flexwing microlight aircraft. Failure of the nyloc nut and bolt that secures the base bar’s rear control wires to the wing keel tube caused the wires to detach during flight. Despite the potential for aerodynamic instability, the pilot landed the aircraft successfully but the wing and propeller were badly damaged in the process. The manufacturer has issued replacement bolts and replaced the nyloc nut with a castellated nut and cotter pin. Pilots are to specifically check this fitting during their pre-flight checks to prevent a recurrence. The AAIB report for this aircraft contains further details.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Date
08.09.2023

Pilot
Male

Age:
57

Rating:
NPPL microlight. BHPA Club Pilot + hill, power rating, senior coach, microlight permit.

Flying Experience:
37 years

325 hours
(7 hours)

433 flights
(11 flights)

Location
Take off from Rossall Airfield,
Cockerham,
UK

Wind Strength:
0-5 km/h

Conditions:
Calm,
Not Turbulent

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
BIERINX J AND DUGOURD M
POU DU CIEL - BIFLY

Launch Type:
Powered

Engine:
Rotax,
447

Summary
Pilot suffered engine out on approach and had to make an emergency landing in alternative field. 30cm grass caught on wheels causing the aircraft to flip upside down.

Injury
Pilot:
Minor Injuries,

Pelvis

Date
16.09.2022

Pilot
Unknown
Location
N/A,
N/A,
UK

Wing Type
Other

Summary
During repack, licensed packer noticed that the bridle had been removed from the parachute. The lines were connected directly to a maillon rapide. Problem had not been picked up on two previous repacks.

Injury
Unknown


Date
26.06.2021

Pilot
Male

Age:
64

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
47 years

650 hours
(20 hours)

1000 flights
(45 flights)

Location
Sutton Meadows,
Cambridgeshire,
UK

Wind Strength:
10-15 km/h

Conditions:
Moderate

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
Flylight
Foxtug

Launch Type:
Aero Tow

Summary
The Foxtug was aerotowing a Wills Wing Falcon F3 (tandem). After initial engine warm-up, a take-off was made on full power. The Foxtug's Rotax 582 engine suffered a power loss at around 200ft AGL which recovered and then dropped again. The tandem pilot released when signalled, and landed without further incident.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Passenger:
Unhurt

Date
08.06.2021

Pilot
Male

Age:
64

Rating:
P

Flying Experience:
47 years

650 hours
(20 hours)

1000 flights
(45 flights)

Location
Sutton Meadows,
Cambridgeshire,
UK

Wing Type
Other

Wing:
Unknown
Hang Glider launch trolley

Summary
After the final, successful, aerotow launch of the day the launch trolley front left side wheel bracket was discovered to be bent and broken on one side. Subsequent inspection found cracks in three of the four flanges on top of the bottom end of the support struts to which the two front wheels attach.

Injury
Pilot:
Unhurt

Last updated: 5 January 2025

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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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