On Saturday, April 11, there was a fatal accident involving a motorized paraglider near Žďár nad Sázavou. According to the current state of information, the course of the event was apparently as follows.
The pilot, with a valid MPK pilot qualification since 2008, was flying at a low altitude, about 50 m above the water level of Pilské rybník. At that moment, wedding guests were taking photos on its banks in front of the monuments marking the borders of Bohemia and Moravia. They started waving at him as he flew over them. The pilot responded by performing a sharp right turn under throttle with the subsequent intention of transitioning to a sharp left turn. However, during the transition, there was a one-sided canopy overhang and a left negative turn. According to the testimony, at that moment the pilot applied full throttle. Due to the low height, approx. 30 to 40 m, an impact with the ground immediately followed. The pilot sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The place of impact was only a few meters away from the wedding guests taking pictures.
It is sad that there was a loss of human life. However, this event may help other pilots. We can all learn from it and avoid actions that could lead to an air accident. During the investigation, it was found that the pilot performed such low maneuvers regularly. According to the testimony, he was supposed to fly, among other things, directly in urban areas. In the past, he was warned by other pilots that if he continued to fly like this, it could lead to an accident. The fact that such behavior led to an accident can be a warning to the rest of us. Everyone should ask themselves a few questions from time to time:
- Do I ever fly in meteorological conditions that cannot be called VMC?
- Do I ever succumb to the urge to show off to someone on a flight?
- Do I ever make turns ad hoc, without prior preparation, based on a spur of the moment idea?
- Has another pilot ever warned me that I was flying dangerously?
If I answer at least one question in the affirmative, I am on the list of so-called "carolers". With this accident, everyone on this list moved up one vacant spot. Who's next? The choice is only ours…