Accident to the paramotor equipped with an ITV Billy wing identified 62BAY on 13/08/2017 at Tardinghen (Pas-de-Calais)
Perte de contrôle lors de la phase d’approche, collision avec le sol
Cat. 2 investigation report: simplified-format report, adapted to the circumstances of the occurrence and the investigation stakes.
During the approach phase, several witnesses, all paramotor pilots, saw the pilot carry out a series of fast, tight spirals. The pilot rapidly lost altitude and then collided with the ground without having stopped the fast descent manoeuvre.
The pilot probably intentionally put the wing into a spiral dive and was unable to stop this manoeuvre before colliding with the ground. Given the height at which this manoeuvre was started, the high rate of sink, and the risks linked to a spiral dive, the pilot had little time to realise how close he was to the ground and to carry out the necessary actions to recover from the manoeuvre.