Accident to the unidentified paramotor equipped with an ITV Awak 2 wing on 26 May 2019 in Aroz (Haute-Saône)
Fermeture de la voile, perte de contrôle, collision avec le sol
The pilot encountered turbulent conditions while cruising. In the accident area, the presence of a field to the pilot's right and a wood to his left may have generated vertical air movements, known as “thermals”. Thermals can generate turbulence. These may have contributed to an asymmetric closure of the right side of the wing.
As the pilot's hand was not positioned on the right brake control, he did not recognize the first signs of a closure and could not react quickly to regain control of the wing. The reactive nature of the wing meant that the pilot had to react quickly.
The pilot's forward, rightward movement, which may have been caused by the engine torque at the time of the closure, accelerated the action of the wing passing behind the pilot, not leaving him time to regain control.
Finally, the camera that was attached to the paramotor may have impeded the reopening of the wing.