I understand why people like to train ppg at the beach; the laminar wind can be helpful for inflations. However, the danger of overshooting the landing raises the stakes and add pressure onto the student. I’d love for new students to have a huge field or even a long grass airstrip for a first flight so they can overshoot their landing without danger. Then the command “hands up, let the glider fly” can be obeyed without the additional stress / fear of a water landing.
Hi Kyle, and every-one. I have been in the sport for longer than most, I have seen a lot of bad stuff, I won’t go in to detail. I was a pg instructor and tandem pilot for a good number of years. As an instructor you do your best to try and judge when a student can be trusted to do that first solo. I had many that aced it, had a few that scared the shit out of me. Some are better than others at remaining cool. This fellow looked to me like he was really having a bit of a panic and at the end I saw it like he wanted to get down, when he was close, he turned left, it scared him and he way over corrected to the right . The vid wasn’t too clear for me to see. Either way. I feel horrible for him and his family. Good analysis Kyle.
I've never flown my self, but it did look like ones he was back over dry land he made an attempt to desend and land, but as he approached the water again with still too much altitude he panicked, tried turning back around and lost it.
From every video I've seen from those in the sport, even experienced fliers purposefully choose not to fly during the day unless its stupidly good conditions. Especially when you take into account the fact its near/over the ocean and the winds that creates as well, I don't get how any instructor would allow a novice flier go out in those conditions much less a first timer if that was in fact the case.
Much Love Kyle O'. Yes, the pilot had their hands deep in the breaks throughout the flight. I saw right away what was going on. IMHO starting out with a strong free-flight experience is probably worth looking into. Not everyone has a good hill to fly from but tow up is a good alternative. There was a lot going on in this video, and from my limited perspective, the conditions seemed too strong for the pilot. Fear does funny things to people. In this case they appeared tense, and as you stated, were overcontrolling the glider. My own instructor said, "Hands up, and let it fly." I've heard you say the same many times. Our wings will fly themselves, as evidenced by a friend of mine who passed away mid-flight from a medical condition. His glider flew beautifully the only indication there was an issue, was that he was VERY close to the trees, and flew right into one. We got to him very quickly, but he had passed before even getting near the tree. Sad as this sounds, if we let the wing do what it is designed to do there will be less trouble. I love your content, even when it is less than happy. Keep doing what you do. Blue Skies & Fly in Peace (>*
I can appreciate that you emphasized that you don't know what's really going on and you can speculate all day but you're not really going to and you even mentioned it's a vibe. and i like that about you. I hate when people just jump to conclusions and don't know what they're talking about. And you did not do that. That tells me you're probably an honest fellow
R.I.P., pilot.😢 Prayers for his friends, family, and the instructor and everyone else there who had to watch that happen in real time. I think you nailed it, Kyle. Just a matter of the wrong inputs at the wrong time, and possibly in the wrong conditions for a new pilot, IMHO. We don’t know what we don’t know. I remember on my first flight, the one thing that stuck in my head from not just my instructor, but from all the things I watched and read about on RUclips, and in the Paramotor Bible was to go hands up on a beginner wing if anything goes sideways. So, the very first time my wheels left the ground, my hands were up! I kept checking myself to make sure I kept them there. There’s something to be said for learning as much as you can long before you even get instruction. Thanks for posting this, Kyle. It will undoubtedly help somebody, and possibly save their life.
Near stalling speed and a one-sided over-correction leading to a death spiral. We must keep in mind, that especially in windy conditions, to maintain good headway. May this pilot's death not be in vain so we may learn from his errors, RIP.
You know, this is helpful to watch from an instructor perspective, as unfortunate as it is. Say it was a situation where the student over controlled, it’s astounding to see that a student could over control that much. Gives an extra perspective that you never really know how a student could respond to certain situations.
Many thanks Kyle O. As a PPG/PG pilot in Australia, my best learnings were from Ewa Wisnierska who flew for up to an hour near 10,000 feet while unconcious and survived! The glider will fly itself if no input!!! I fly with consistent light break input, to turn left I look left, lean left and RAISE MY RIGHT HAND before I give any left input. Sometimes this is all I need, sometmes some more left brake input, but hands up is one of the most important lessons we can all learn 🪂🪂
Sorry Art-J, you are correct, no input from the pilot and she flew higher than mount Everest, at the cruising altitude of trans-continental jets. A clear learning that we as pilots are mostly just weight for balance. The less inexperienced pilots yank at the controls, the better.
My condolences to family and friends. Thx Kyle for posting. So true, the only way to keep others safe is by learning, sadly, sometimes through the fatal mistakes of others. Best wishes to all.
That's a rough one to cover man. I think you did it gracefully. I had my first unintended stall on freeflight launch a month ago. New pod harness and tried to get in too early off launch focusing on harness instead of graceful launch and accidentally gave too much brake. Going hands up saved the day, but for a new person it may not have been obvious.
Paragliding takes a lot of practice and experience which builds your preparation and options. When in doubt, check height, hands up for speed and steer to a clear space for your mind and the glider. Many times when I first started the fixation on doing one thing eclipsed the alternatives. Have a plan A,B, and C! As long as you can land safely it doesn’t matter where it is.
Just my point of view....Training a new student over water is not good (we know water is one of our greatest enemies)....training a new student in strong winds is also not good, laminar or not (this requires experienced glider control...which is why we teach inland on calm, low wind days)....student should be told (drilled into their head before they ever fly) just have your hands on the brakes with the weight of your arms hanging....don't pull down unless to turn...that way it helps, doesn't prevent, but helps keep the wing flying without for and aft movements that could lead to such a crash. And at a minimum, when in doubt, hands up and let the glider fly...My heart goes out to his friends, family, and the instructor.....they'll never be the same....thanks for posting Kyle....lots to learn from this....
Poor guy did big handfuls of everything. When he was way out to sea, if he had been told to shut the throttle and put his hand to the risers he would have most likely got away with it safely. The incoming sea breeze would have brought him back to the beach, even if the wing had turned 180° he may well have had a fast ground approach but it would have been more stable. As it was, with one brake deep and the other side of the wing flying the pilot clearly pulled both brakes really hard and opened the throttle wide too, once that happened there was no way back whatever the height. As others have said, "let the wing fly". No matter how scary the ride becomes, let the wing work by not giving it inputs and control the height by use of steady power.
Mate you have the best accent I have ever heard. I would buy all of your audiobooks. 🥰😄🥰 Woeful tragedy, the expression in your voice is a beautiful and very respectful analysis in itself. Much appreciated.
I had a situation like that. I`m alive cos landed on 7 meter tall trees. I was free flying on a cliff about 15 meters high. It was boring, so I stopped in some places to make shadows for people lying on the beach. To do this, I brake with both hands all the time. When I decided to stop flying, I tightened the left brake and then released both. I saw the wing almost below me and ended the flight landing in the trees.
Thanks Kyle. Anytime something like this happens it sucks it can happen to any of us. I appreciate you guys analyze it. Maybe help us from doing the same thing.
Hello Kyle. Frank from Ireland here. 16 years PG and Low hours on PPG. PPG is weird as it scares me with the noise and weight to consider on landing. In this case we can see the Fear in the Student. The wind is strong, the Student wants to get down so badly he gets deep in the brakes over landing Zone. I also hear the motor throttle up just before impact. Very sad for everyone involved. Paragliding and PPG are dangerous sports. I still get scared every time I fly. Thank God as the more confident I am the more I push the envelope. Fly high and Fly safe and progress slowly in this sport or it will teach you a lesson you may not recover from. So much respect is needed when dealing with mother nature.
I think beaches are great for kiting and easy inflations. However, maybe not the best location for first inflation.,. High winds, water hazards, restricted LZs etc. I'm not an instructor but if I was I would pick calm winds inland for first flights.
Yes and what I hear in the video is the student's psychology matters. Are they over conscientious in general. Are they athletes that have a sense of things? I don't know what I am trying to say but it seems like there are things here.
Hi Kyle, Mozart here. From Brazil. The original audio is not very good, sometimes incomprehensible, but I managed to translate something from the instructor for you there. It follows: "Tá bom, tá bom - * It´s good, it´s good… * Isso, com a ponta pra cima - * That's it, with the tip up… * Beleza, vai pro ponto “B” - * That’s good! Go to the “B” point * Vai lá pra trás - * Go back! * Esquerda, esquerda, isso! Vai lá! - * Left, left, that’s it! Left, left, go there * Levanta a outra mão - * Raise your other hand. * Isso, mano, dá motor! Dá motor! - * That’s it, brother, give power, give power! * Mais… vai mais rápido - * More… go faster! * Aí.. vai pra trás, pra trás! [Abre] esquerda! - * Yeess! Go back, go back! [Open] left. * Reto, reto, reto - * Straight ahead (3x) *"
Years ago there was a hg fatality at London bridge,(Portsea, Australia,,, beginner stress,,veritable geometry application,and limited time,ends in tragedy,,the human brain,/mind can only handle so much,,,we need to do better,,take smaller steps
Not so much as to what he did wrong,,, at what point, (from all the way back to when he crossed from the water to overland,) could he, or should he, have done? . It's obvious it's windy, new pilot, moving fast and probably scared, is there, or was there, a let's calm down and regroup time??? Climb and relax, or break off from trying to come in... WHAT? Use throttle? Don't use throttle? Those are the kinda things us newbie's need to hear from you experienced folks... Thanks
is anyone else bothered by the communication style of the instructor? I might miss something in translation here. But "left, left more left" doesn't sound nearly as effective as: "I want you to take a left 180 degree turn towards landmark X". It might not have prevented this accident, but I think clearly communicating in this way would help a great deal towards making the student less nervous.
Same vibes here. Pilot was clearly tense. Instructor had a tensed tone as well as an urgency in his voice. And I get it. Student wasn't flying well, and was in an unsafe positioning for that lz. Typically, that's when calm simple repeated commands do tend to work. Repeating "left, left, left" isn't necessarily bad, but personally, I try to keep my voice as calm as possible when I've been involved with a panicked student situation.
One thing I would consider is an inappropriate glider. It seems like the glider could be an Ozone which I almost died with a few years ago. And it looks like it wanted to dive far too easy. Also, the pilot had no sense of brake application to keep the glider in a stable, overhead position.
Ozone is a brand. That's like saying it's a Ford. There are many different models under that maker. The glider does look appropriate for a beginner pilot. You are correct in that it was control applications that ultimately ended the man's life.
Looks like the right side of his wing stalled. He was definitely flying too slow which makes the wing more unstable and difficult to control. When learning to fly an airplane, we go above 5,000 feet then try to fly slower and slower by reducing the power and pitching up to maintain a constant altitude until the plane starts stalling. Then the goal is to try to keep the plane going straight while it stalls, then once you fail, you recover by throttling up and pitch forward to regain speed. Had this pilot had experience with this maneuver, he’d probably understand how dangerous it is to fly so close to stall speed while so close to the ground. In an airplane you can have two pilots, so the instructor can rescue you when you screw up. I don’t know if they can do the same thing with a paraglider, but it seems like you should. Flying slowly seems to be the natural instinct for new pilots who don’t understand what a stall is, so the first thing that should be taught is what a stall is.
Making a downwind turn on a parachute at a low altitude and then turning back into the wind is risky business in gusty conditions. Wind turbulence near the ground most likely caused the stall and spin. The pilot had two options for a safe landing. (1) Climb to about 400 feet AGL, reduce power and slowly turn into the wind and land. (2) Continue to descend downwind and make a downwind landing and then spend the rest of the day picking the sandspurs out of your butt area.
We've all been conditioned by bicycles, cars etc if something's going wrong, hit the brakes. I think this fellow was deep into fear/panic before the vid started, and that resulted in an almost instinctive reaction to brake...or even just to hang onto something (brakes being a really bad choice). IMO an overlooked benefit of that first tow is that's the first chance you have to really discover if you're going to like hanging from a bunch of strings in the sky. If the answer is no, that's the time to quit or do more homework. I wonder if that student ever did a tow?
IMO a student should never fly with so much wind, at least it looks windy... So IMO it is the instructor fault because he shouldn't have let the pilot fly in those conditions. When I learned to fly it was always with calmed conditions. I only flew with light wind when I already had a more or less good control on the glider and was teached on how does a glider react in diferent conditions. I wouldn't let that instructor teach anymore... RIP :(
So sad. @ 2:50 His friend says "Eu te vejo!" = "I see you!" and laughs. This was an adventure, that turned tragic in seconds, for so many people. Like Kyle, I can't make out much of what the instructor is saying, apart from "Esquerda! Esquerda! Esquerda! Mais esquerda!" "Left! Left More left!"
I do have wind limitations for student activities. Typically calm is difficult, and strong wind is unforgiving. We aim for somewhere in between for maximum benefit.
It looks clear to me that the pilot didn't know what he was doing and was not qualified to be flying in those conditions. I blame the instructor for letting him take off.
Hi ! I'm Brazilian. What i heard in the video was normal instructions as " Yes go right, Take lef, go straight until the end, good etc... The instructor wasn't afraid, everything was good until, suddenly, he made that spiral, and the instructor didn't have time to say anything... That's sad.. Probably was too wind for him.
He was just barely above the stall he was breaking so slow and when he raised his left hand instead of his right he released all the energy on one side instead of lifting both hands for a swoop. I also agree with you on the idea that the motor torque went against him if he turned off the left break and not the right. My heart breaks for this guy's family and this guy as well. Would a person be just as well to kind of trying to stay out of the breaks flying a paraglider?
Oh wow. This is where YT needs more options than just a thumbs up or down. I appreciate the video, but my heart breaks for that family. So incredibly sad. 😔
DId he ever go hands up? It seemed like he was near stall at most times. At one point he let one hand up and a spiral ensued. I just assume some of the words from the instructor, included : "hands up". I've found that power has less to do with it than brakes. Not enough power, doesnt lead to a stall, unless you've too much brake. As someone else mentioned, I think he was hanging from those brakes for fear had him thinking that brakes and slow, is safer.
It's very simple: this is not a spot for beginners. Over open water? No! in strong windy conditions? No! Simply wait for calm weather conditions und find an open field..... the instructors reaction also was very slow. My condolences to family and friends. What a sad avoidable accident.
Just like any fixed wing aircraft, you lose your vertical component of lift in a steep bank. I practiced steep turns at altitude to simulate altitude loss as well as accelerated stalls.
You're right on this point and when you enter into a stall with a small airplane it is very easy to apply rudders to the wrong side, exactly what this pilot seems to do.
Very sad. You hate to see it. I feel so sorry for this pilot, the instructor, and their families. I hope it reminds people flying is a serious business, and still it’s a joy. 🙏🏻
What i don't understand: A paraglider is a very intelligent thing to fly with: You can carry it on a hike and start from a mountain, being towed by a scooter to start a thermal XC flight. You are in close contact to the air. Putting an engine to it ruins everything.
Engines allow for climbs in calm air. A motor unit attached to a paraglider is a force multiplier to a large magnitude in that it increases the times and places to obtain flight. Their convenience is unmatched. BTW, I do prefer non powered flight, but logistics prevent that in most places that ppg is easily accessible.
I agree Kyle, I flew in Colorado for my 1st pg flight and loved it but I live in MI. We don't have mountains here so ppg has made it possible for me to live my dream of flight. It's been the best experience of my life. I would have never been able to get into the sky without ppg. I am very picky about weather conditions as a newbie but I absolutely love ppg.
Ouch. I’m just learning but from everything i’ve seen so far it looked a little rough and windy to me. I wonder if the student saw they were going back out over the water and were trying to make a quick circle and come in lower, and didn’t really know what to do.
Yeah I suspect that. May be a case where a little knowledge is dangerous. If you had a lot more height to do that it would have worked out. But I think he misjudged capability. Also too windy for him to be up - whitecaps on the waves.
Hi, I live in the UK. and I am not a novice. but with flying a paramotor .iam always learning. there's a lot of info that doesn't get mentioned. accident. fatal. are covered up on purpose.. ill mention a fatal accident in two people flying all have cameras. one is a photographer. an accident happened the cameraman died. so while trying to find out how the fatal accident happened .not all the info is made public? the cameras??/ these were on filming. so the accident should show the accident? but no .its hushed up .on purpose. to me fatal accidents all.should be made public.. then there's an instructor in his landrover. towing a student with a rope tied to the rear tow bar. the student ends up while be towed with a lockout. he crashes and helicopters came. a lot of witnesses saw it ... but because they're in a gang. they keep their mouths shut. on video. corruption is rife. distortion of the facts.and theres more....
From the look he definitely used only right that put the wing into the spiral but the sound also seems to indicates he also pulled more throttle which you can see pitch up first then aggressively entered the spiral
In am portuguese (From Madeira, Portugal) 1.34 . its good. (he says it a few times) 1.56 (cant understant) up go up! 1.59 thats great 2.02 go to point B 2.04 go back 2.06 left left, thats it left. 2.11 release the brake 2.14 thats it bro 2.15 (cant understant) 2.17 go faster 2.21 go back. more left. straight straight left left 2.33 cant understand whats said after.
Oscillations can be very powerful. He needed left brake to stop it. Perhaps he simply pulled right, instead of left. Oscillations can be disorienting, if you are not active flying. Turning sharply low to the ground, can get tricky, and that is where most of the danger is.
That guy was nervous. You can see it in the wing throughout the entire video. He was over controlling the entire time. I've had that happen with students on a couple of occasions. Instructor needs to immediately go to a calm voice and be forceful with the commands. at the same time. Take the student higher for safety and get him to calm down. Without understanding the language, the intensity in the voice says everything. People do not do things well when they are stressed and panicking. Biggest thing to do there give the guy time to calm down.
I think the winds were within safe limits. The coastal winds have a far different quality than inland winds of the same magnitude. Disregarding the microphone buffetting, he was able to penetrate into the headwind with deep brakes. This bit tells me conditions were likely safe for student operations while still on the high side.
Good analysis I would have said similar. The pilot was close to stall at that point, the pilot releases the left hand but keeps right hand low, which enters into a spiral. I would have said the way out would have been to release the right brake and pull left a little, as soon as it entered the spiral. I think spending time to look at these horrible videos is helpful to see what not to do. Thoughts go out to the family and friends of the pilot. Blue skies
In an airplane, you would call this a stall. I also don't think you would let a novice up in those conditions, nice and breezy until you learn control.
to hear the instructor LAUGH 2:52 while this student is clearly in big trouble is appealing, this just won't leave my mind, I am thinking criminal charges, negligent homicide.. he fuggen laughed at him
I don’t have any paragliding experience, but to me it looks like a regular stall. It’s it possible that his riding the brakes (which I would guess is most like flying with flaps down on an airplane) made him dependent on wind speed for lift? When the wind shifted slightly it just dropped him out of the sky?
He never stalled, but rather did the equivalent of dumping one flap quickly causing a "shoot", where the wing got way out in front of him. Visually, a paraglider stall will ball up and fall back behind the pilot.
listen to the engine when the student is coming in towards the beach.. fear. and panic. maybe the instructor could have mentioned come off. a little with the power. RIP.
I think it was just too windy a location to be for even an experienced pilot. If he just lets the thing run without hitting the brakes, this guy could have kept flying for miles, he could have went higher up and further inland....scary situation for sure. Sad something fun, or a hobby, turns into an end of life situation.
Similar, but I never observed the glider stalled. When a paraglider stalls, it curls up behind, and is quite visible. In fixed wing terms, this is like an aggresive asymmetric recovery from slow flight while too low.
If he had his arms up he would have had more airspeed and more control of wing... was there good instruction idk... so much we don't know but low airspeed and gusty winds make for a bad combo low to ground ... very sad
@@kyleoglee Raises a good point. The wing might not have been suitable for a beginner, perhpas a design meant for more advanced para pilots. That being said he just didn't have enough altitude .
The comms from the Instructor were maybe overly encouraging and being very complimentary to Student - this could have given student over confidence to pull a quasi wing over at low altitude ‘ RIP ok mate
flying is not for everyone. It looks like he was way behind the glider & was piloting reactively instead of actively. I don't fly PGs, so not sure on how student progression goes, but I've never seen an instructor have to yell that much for the student to react. Guy was clearly way in over his head.
I'm private pilot as well rinzler. He was close, think slow flight, full flaps in fixed wing terms. Now imagine cleaning up the left wing in an instant while mashing right rudder. All while hanging under the aircraft on 20 feet of lines. Glider shoots and yaws, you swing out, then down. When these gliders stall/spin, the wing curls reward losing pressure. It's very visible. I didn't observe that. I think he was near stall, but never actually hit it.
@@kyleoglee sounds scary - its a self feeding cycle. I've come dangerously close on base to final doing dumb things like a steep bank with rudder at low speed, and then snapping out and applying power. Not an option with these things by the look of of it.
@@kyleoglee OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As a recently retired airline pilot as of Jan 2023, I've been through some "incidents" with no fatalities nor even serious injuries, but this is just plain terrifying! I wish you all the very best sir! Oh you kids....... ;-))
Yes, there is danger. Statistics show the risk lies somewhere just above operating a motor vehicle on the highway, and a good bit safer than a motorcycle. With that in mind, aviation as a whole is very unforgiving of any poor decisions. What you see in this video is a very rare scenario that unfolded in the worst way.
@@kyleoglee respectfully, seems to be a matter of wind sheer before the wing collapses (which will happen) hopefully it won’t happen at a low altitude. I would never suggest anyone shouldn’t have the freedom to participate, however. Be safe!
I understand why people like to train ppg at the beach; the laminar wind can be helpful for inflations. However, the danger of overshooting the landing raises the stakes and add pressure onto the student. I’d love for new students to have a huge field or even a long grass airstrip for a first flight so they can overshoot their landing without danger. Then the command “hands up, let the glider fly” can be obeyed without the additional stress / fear of a water landing.
Yes, that add'l pressure to get it right would be an issue, I can see it.
I see ur point
Hi Kyle, and every-one. I have been in the sport for longer than most, I have seen a lot of bad stuff, I won’t go in to detail. I was a pg instructor and tandem pilot for a good number of years. As an instructor you do your best to try and judge when a student can be trusted to do that first solo. I had many that aced it, had a few that scared the shit out of me. Some are better than others at remaining cool. This fellow looked to me like he was really having a bit of a panic and at the end I saw it like he wanted to get down, when he was close, he turned left, it scared him and he way over corrected to the right . The vid wasn’t too clear for me to see. Either way. I feel horrible for him and his family. Good analysis Kyle.
I've never flown my self, but it did look like ones he was back over dry land he made an attempt to desend and land, but as he approached the water again with still too much altitude he panicked, tried turning back around and lost it.
From every video I've seen from those in the sport, even experienced fliers purposefully choose not to fly during the day unless its stupidly good conditions. Especially when you take into account the fact its near/over the ocean and the winds that creates as well, I don't get how any instructor would allow a novice flier go out in those conditions much less a first timer if that was in fact the case.
Much Love Kyle O'. Yes, the pilot had their hands deep in the breaks throughout the flight. I saw right away what was going on. IMHO starting out with a strong free-flight experience is probably worth looking into. Not everyone has a good hill to fly from but tow up is a good alternative. There was a lot going on in this video, and from my limited perspective, the conditions seemed too strong for the pilot. Fear does funny things to people. In this case they appeared tense, and as you stated, were overcontrolling the glider. My own instructor said, "Hands up, and let it fly." I've heard you say the same many times. Our wings will fly themselves, as evidenced by a friend of mine who passed away mid-flight from a medical condition. His glider flew beautifully the only indication there was an issue, was that he was VERY close to the trees, and flew right into one. We got to him very quickly, but he had passed before even getting near the tree. Sad as this sounds, if we let the wing do what it is designed to do there will be less trouble. I love your content, even when it is less than happy. Keep doing what you do. Blue Skies & Fly in Peace (>*
Hands up... Staying deep in the brakes the entire time, he wasnt flying he was floating....barely.
Wow, what a way to leave this world.
I imagine that must have been very confusing for you guys in the moment. So unexpected.
Horrible. Prayers to the pilot and their family. Thank you for the breakdown Kyle. God bless.
I can appreciate that you emphasized that you don't know what's really going on and you can speculate all day but you're not really going to and you even mentioned it's a vibe. and i like that about you. I hate when people just jump to conclusions and don't know what they're talking about. And you did not do that. That tells me you're probably an honest fellow
R.I.P., pilot.😢 Prayers for his friends, family, and the instructor and everyone else there who had to watch that happen in real time.
I think you nailed it, Kyle. Just a matter of the wrong inputs at the wrong time, and possibly in the wrong conditions for a new pilot, IMHO. We don’t know what we don’t know.
I remember on my first flight, the one thing that stuck in my head from not just my instructor, but from all the things I watched and read about on RUclips, and in the Paramotor Bible was to go hands up on a beginner wing if anything goes sideways. So, the very first time my wheels left the ground, my hands were up! I kept checking myself to make sure I kept them there. There’s something to be said for learning as much as you can long before you even get instruction.
Thanks for posting this, Kyle. It will undoubtedly help somebody, and possibly save their life.
Thank you for educating us on this horrific accident...you are aware of his mistakes and shared it with us and I thank you brother
Thanks for covering this, it's a valuable lesson. Not all content is funny, but I appreciate your respectful approach.
Near stalling speed and a one-sided over-correction leading to a death spiral. We must keep in mind, that especially in windy conditions, to maintain good headway. May this pilot's death not be in vain so we may learn from his errors, RIP.
Headway? Basic airmanship, the wing and pilot has no idea whether it is upwind, down wind or across the wind. Headway is only relevant to the ground.
You know, this is helpful to watch from an instructor perspective, as unfortunate as it is. Say it was a situation where the student over controlled, it’s astounding to see that a student could over control that much. Gives an extra perspective that you never really know how a student could respond to certain situations.
Many thanks Kyle O. As a PPG/PG pilot in Australia, my best learnings were from Ewa Wisnierska who flew for up to an hour near 10,000 feet while unconcious and survived! The glider will fly itself if no input!!! I fly with consistent light break input, to turn left I look left, lean left and RAISE MY RIGHT HAND before I give any left input. Sometimes this is all I need, sometmes some more left brake input, but hands up is one of the most important lessons we can all learn 🪂🪂
A bit of a correction - she got lifted up to 10 k meters actually, not feet, which is even more insane!
Sorry Art-J, you are correct, no input from the pilot and she flew higher than mount Everest, at the cruising altitude of trans-continental jets. A clear learning that we as pilots are mostly just weight for balance. The less inexperienced pilots yank at the controls, the better.
Verve, thanks for pointing me in the direction of Ewa Wisnierska, amazing! Over 30,000 feet! How is it possible? She must have been supremely fit.
My condolences to family and friends.
Thx Kyle for posting. So true, the only way to keep others safe is by learning, sadly, sometimes through the fatal mistakes of others.
Best wishes to all.
That's a rough one to cover man. I think you did it gracefully. I had my first unintended stall on freeflight launch a month ago. New pod harness and tried to get in too early off launch focusing on harness instead of graceful launch and accidentally gave too much brake. Going hands up saved the day, but for a new person it may not have been obvious.
Paragliding takes a lot of practice and experience which builds your preparation and options. When in doubt, check height, hands up for speed and steer to a clear space for your mind and the glider. Many times when I first started the fixation on doing one thing eclipsed the alternatives. Have a plan A,B, and C! As long as you can land safely it doesn’t matter where it is.
Thanks for the analysis 😎👍
Very sad. 😭,
Aviation lessons are written in blood. Unfortunately, sometimes this is how we learn.
Always good to hear your thoughts on these things Kyle.
Keep up the great vids mate.
Just my point of view....Training a new student over water is not good (we know water is one of our greatest enemies)....training a new student in strong winds is also not good, laminar or not (this requires experienced glider control...which is why we teach inland on calm, low wind days)....student should be told (drilled into their head before they ever fly) just have your hands on the brakes with the weight of your arms hanging....don't pull down unless to turn...that way it helps, doesn't prevent, but helps keep the wing flying without for and aft movements that could lead to such a crash. And at a minimum, when in doubt, hands up and let the glider fly...My heart goes out to his friends, family, and the instructor.....they'll never be the same....thanks for posting Kyle....lots to learn from this....
Poor guy did big handfuls of everything. When he was way out to sea, if he had been told to shut the throttle and put his hand to the risers he would have most likely got away with it safely. The incoming sea breeze would have brought him back to the beach, even if the wing had turned 180° he may well have had a fast ground approach but it would have been more stable. As it was, with one brake deep and the other side of the wing flying the pilot clearly pulled both brakes really hard and opened the throttle wide too, once that happened there was no way back whatever the height. As others have said, "let the wing fly". No matter how scary the ride becomes, let the wing work by not giving it inputs and control the height by use of steady power.
Mate you have the best accent I have ever heard. I would buy all of your audiobooks. 🥰😄🥰
Woeful tragedy, the expression in your voice is a beautiful and very respectful analysis in itself. Much appreciated.
Thanks thek. I rather enjoy the aussie accent myself.
What the.....?😁
I had a situation like that. I`m alive cos landed on 7 meter tall trees. I was free flying on a cliff about 15 meters high. It was boring, so I stopped in some places to make shadows for people lying on the beach. To do this, I brake with both hands all the time. When I decided to stop flying, I tightened the left brake and then released both. I saw the wing almost below me and ended the flight landing in the trees.
Cor blimey Zbiggy. Someone was watching over you... I'm very glad.
Thanks Kyle. Anytime something like this happens it sucks it can happen to any of us. I appreciate you guys analyze it. Maybe help us from doing the same thing.
Hello Kyle. Frank from Ireland here. 16 years PG and Low hours on PPG. PPG is weird as it scares me with the noise and weight to consider on landing. In this case we can see the Fear in the Student. The wind is strong, the Student wants to get down so badly he gets deep in the brakes over landing Zone. I also hear the motor throttle up just before impact. Very sad for everyone involved. Paragliding and PPG are dangerous sports. I still get scared every time I fly. Thank God as the more confident I am the more I push the envelope. Fly high and Fly safe and progress slowly in this sport or it will teach you a lesson you may not recover from. So much respect is needed when dealing with mother nature.
Seemed like the wind was way to high for a new pilot
I think beaches are great for kiting and easy inflations. However, maybe not the best location for first inflation.,. High winds, water hazards, restricted LZs etc. I'm not an instructor but if I was I would pick calm winds inland for first flights.
Yes and what I hear in the video is the student's psychology matters. Are they over conscientious in general. Are they athletes that have a sense of things? I don't know what I am trying to say but it seems like there are things here.
Hi Kyle, Mozart here. From Brazil. The original audio is not very good, sometimes incomprehensible, but I managed to translate something from the instructor for you there. It follows:
"Tá bom, tá bom - * It´s good, it´s good… *
Isso, com a ponta pra cima - * That's it, with the tip up… *
Beleza, vai pro ponto “B” - * That’s good! Go to the “B” point *
Vai lá pra trás - * Go back! *
Esquerda, esquerda, isso! Vai lá! - * Left, left, that’s it! Left, left, go there *
Levanta a outra mão - * Raise your other hand. *
Isso, mano, dá motor! Dá motor! - * That’s it, brother, give power, give power! *
Mais… vai mais rápido - * More… go faster! *
Aí.. vai pra trás, pra trás! [Abre] esquerda! - * Yeess! Go back, go back! [Open] left. *
Reto, reto, reto - * Straight ahead (3x) *"
Well done Kyle informative as well as tactfully done
Years ago there was a hg fatality at London bridge,(Portsea, Australia,,, beginner stress,,veritable geometry application,and limited time,ends in tragedy,,the human brain,/mind can only handle so much,,,we need to do better,,take smaller steps
That's the best kind of pilot right there it can't do him any good either way so he told everybody to try and learn from this tragedy.
Not so much as to what he did wrong,,, at what point, (from all the way back to when he crossed from the water to overland,) could he, or should he, have done? .
It's obvious it's windy, new pilot, moving fast and probably scared, is there, or was there, a let's calm down and regroup time???
Climb and relax, or break off from trying to come in... WHAT? Use throttle? Don't use throttle?
Those are the kinda things us newbie's need to hear from you experienced folks...
Thanks
is anyone else bothered by the communication style of the instructor?
I might miss something in translation here. But "left, left more left" doesn't sound nearly as effective as: "I want you to take a left 180 degree turn towards landmark X".
It might not have prevented this accident, but I think clearly communicating in this way would help a great deal towards making the student less nervous.
Same vibes here. Pilot was clearly tense. Instructor had a tensed tone as well as an urgency in his voice. And I get it. Student wasn't flying well, and was in an unsafe positioning for that lz. Typically, that's when calm simple repeated commands do tend to work. Repeating "left, left, left" isn't necessarily bad, but personally, I try to keep my voice as calm as possible when I've been involved with a panicked student situation.
One thing I would consider is an inappropriate glider. It seems like the glider could be an Ozone which I almost died with a few years ago. And it looks like it wanted to dive far too easy. Also, the pilot had no sense of brake application to keep the glider in a stable, overhead position.
Ozone is a brand. That's like saying it's a Ford. There are many different models under that maker. The glider does look appropriate for a beginner pilot. You are correct in that it was control applications that ultimately ended the man's life.
Looks like the right side of his wing stalled. He was definitely flying too slow which makes the wing more unstable and difficult to control.
When learning to fly an airplane, we go above 5,000 feet then try to fly slower and slower by reducing the power and pitching up to maintain a constant altitude until the plane starts stalling. Then the goal is to try to keep the plane going straight while it stalls, then once you fail, you recover by throttling up and pitch forward to regain speed. Had this pilot had experience with this maneuver, he’d probably understand how dangerous it is to fly so close to stall speed while so close to the ground.
In an airplane you can have two pilots, so the instructor can rescue you when you screw up. I don’t know if they can do the same thing with a paraglider, but it seems like you should. Flying slowly seems to be the natural instinct for new pilots who don’t understand what a stall is, so the first thing that should be taught is what a stall is.
Making a downwind turn on a parachute at a low altitude and then turning back into the wind is risky business in gusty conditions. Wind turbulence near the ground most likely caused the stall and spin. The pilot had two options for a safe landing. (1) Climb to about 400 feet AGL, reduce power and slowly turn into the wind and land. (2) Continue to descend downwind and make a downwind landing and then spend the rest of the day picking the sandspurs out of your butt area.
We've all been conditioned by bicycles, cars etc if something's going wrong, hit the brakes. I think this fellow was deep into fear/panic before the vid started, and that resulted in an almost instinctive reaction to brake...or even just to hang onto something (brakes being a really bad choice).
IMO an overlooked benefit of that first tow is that's the first chance you have to really discover if you're going to like hanging from a bunch of strings in the sky. If the answer is no, that's the time to quit or do more homework. I wonder if that student ever did a tow?
Immediate impression is the conditions were too windy for safe low-level flight… and most especially for a student.
IMO a student should never fly with so much wind, at least it looks windy... So IMO it is the instructor fault because he shouldn't have let the pilot fly in those conditions. When I learned to fly it was always with calmed conditions. I only flew with light wind when I already had a more or less good control on the glider and was teached on how does a glider react in diferent conditions.
I wouldn't let that instructor teach anymore...
RIP :(
Sad to see he is not able to learn from these mistakes. RIP.
So sad. @ 2:50 His friend says "Eu te vejo!" = "I see you!" and laughs. This was an adventure, that turned tragic in seconds, for so many people.
Like Kyle, I can't make out much of what the instructor is saying, apart from "Esquerda! Esquerda! Esquerda! Mais esquerda!" "Left! Left More left!"
If you were going to train wouldn't it be a calm day? Seems very windy in the video for someone with little experience
I do have wind limitations for student activities. Typically calm is difficult, and strong wind is unforgiving. We aim for somewhere in between for maximum benefit.
It looks clear to me that the pilot didn't know what he was doing and was not qualified to be flying in those conditions. I blame the instructor for letting him take off.
I believe you are correct. Definitely too strong of a day.
Hi ! I'm Brazilian. What i heard in the video was normal instructions as " Yes go right, Take lef, go straight until the end, good etc... The instructor wasn't afraid, everything was good until, suddenly, he made that spiral, and the instructor didn't have time to say anything... That's sad.. Probably was too wind for him.
He was just barely above the stall he was breaking so slow and when he raised his left hand instead of his right he released all the energy on one side instead of lifting both hands for a swoop. I also agree with you on the idea that the motor torque went against him if he turned off the left break and not the right. My heart breaks for this guy's family and this guy as well. Would a person be just as well to kind of trying to stay out of the breaks flying a paraglider?
Oh wow. This is where YT needs more options than just a thumbs up or down. I appreciate the video, but my heart breaks for that family. So incredibly sad. 😔
DId he ever go hands up? It seemed like he was near stall at most times. At one point he let one hand up and a spiral ensued. I just assume some of the words from the instructor, included : "hands up". I've found that power has less to do with it than brakes. Not enough power, doesnt lead to a stall, unless you've too much brake. As someone else mentioned, I think he was hanging from those brakes for fear had him thinking that brakes and slow, is safer.
It's very simple: this is not a spot for beginners. Over open water? No! in strong windy conditions? No! Simply wait for calm weather conditions und find an open field..... the instructors reaction also was very slow. My condolences to family and friends. What a sad avoidable accident.
Thank you for you out look on this horrible incident.
Just like any fixed wing aircraft, you lose your vertical component of lift in a steep bank. I practiced steep turns at altitude to simulate altitude loss as well as accelerated stalls.
You're right on this point and when you enter into a stall with a small airplane it is very easy to apply rudders to the wrong side, exactly what this pilot seems to do.
Very sad. You hate to see it. I feel so sorry for this pilot, the instructor, and their families. I hope it reminds people flying is a serious business, and still it’s a joy. 🙏🏻
What i don't understand: A paraglider is a very intelligent thing to fly with: You can carry it on a hike and start from a mountain, being towed by a scooter to start a thermal XC flight. You are in close contact to the air. Putting an engine to it ruins everything.
Engines allow for climbs in calm air. A motor unit attached to a paraglider is a force multiplier to a large magnitude in that it increases the times and places to obtain flight. Their convenience is unmatched. BTW, I do prefer non powered flight, but logistics prevent that in most places that ppg is easily accessible.
I agree Kyle, I flew in Colorado for my 1st pg flight and loved it but I live in MI. We don't have mountains here so ppg has made it possible for me to live my dream of flight. It's been the best experience of my life. I would have never been able to get into the sky without ppg. I am very picky about weather conditions as a newbie but I absolutely love ppg.
I'm not a paramotor pilot, but, in addition to the errors you noted, the downwind turn had to contribute to the sink rate.
Ouch. I’m just learning but from
everything i’ve seen so far it looked a little rough and windy to me. I wonder if the student saw they were going back out over the water and were trying to make a quick circle and come in lower, and didn’t really know what to do.
Yeah I suspect that. May be a case where a little knowledge is dangerous. If you had a lot more height to do that it would have worked out. But I think he misjudged capability. Also too windy for him to be up - whitecaps on the waves.
Hi, I live in the UK. and I am not a novice. but with flying a paramotor .iam always learning. there's a lot of info that doesn't get mentioned. accident. fatal. are covered up on purpose.. ill mention a fatal accident in two people flying all have cameras. one is a photographer. an accident happened the cameraman died. so while trying to find out how the fatal accident happened .not all the info is made public? the cameras??/ these were on filming. so the accident should show the accident? but no .its hushed up .on purpose. to me fatal accidents all.should be made public.. then there's an instructor in his landrover. towing a student with a rope tied to the rear tow bar. the student ends up while be towed with a lockout. he crashes and helicopters came. a lot of witnesses saw it ... but because they're in a gang. they keep their mouths shut. on video. corruption is rife. distortion of the facts.and theres more....
Sad News but Thank you Kyle for you're input.
From the look he definitely used only right that put the wing into the spiral but the sound also seems to indicates he also pulled more throttle which you can see pitch up first then aggressively entered the spiral
In am portuguese (From Madeira, Portugal)
1.34 . its good. (he says it a few times)
1.56 (cant understant) up go up!
1.59 thats great
2.02 go to point B
2.04 go back
2.06 left left, thats it left.
2.11 release the brake
2.14 thats it bro
2.15 (cant understant)
2.17 go faster
2.21 go back. more left. straight straight left left
2.33 cant understand whats said after.
Oscillations can be very powerful. He needed left brake to stop it. Perhaps he simply pulled right, instead of left. Oscillations can be disorienting, if you are not active flying. Turning sharply low to the ground, can get tricky, and that is where most of the danger is.
Difficult to watch...harder to analyze with only this video as the data set. Thanks for trying to help this community of flyers.
Rip. Prayers
That guy was nervous. You can see it in the wing throughout the entire video. He was over controlling the entire time. I've had that happen with students on a couple of occasions. Instructor needs to immediately go to a calm voice and be forceful with the commands. at the same time. Take the student higher for safety and get him to calm down. Without understanding the language, the intensity in the voice says everything. People do not do things well when they are stressed and panicking. Biggest thing to do there give the guy time to calm down.
Beginner flying near beach in strong wind?
I think the winds were within safe limits. The coastal winds have a far different quality than inland winds of the same magnitude. Disregarding the microphone buffetting, he was able to penetrate into the headwind with deep brakes. This bit tells me conditions were likely safe for student operations while still on the high side.
The fatal error was a low altitude, down wind, hook turn. Period.
Good analysis I would have said similar. The pilot was close to stall at that point, the pilot releases the left hand but keeps right hand low, which enters into a spiral. I would have said the way out would have been to release the right brake and pull left a little, as soon as it entered the spiral. I think spending time to look at these horrible videos is helpful to see what not to do. Thoughts go out to the family and friends of the pilot. Blue skies
Sad but a sobering reminder that the basics matter. Let the wing fly.
He stalled… simply stalled.
In an airplane, you would call this a stall. I also don't think you would let a novice up in those conditions, nice and breezy until you learn control.
It looks like a very simple basics mistake to me - always land into the wind - Never ever let the wind be behind you at such a low altitude.
We can learn to stay out of dangerous situations
Sadly, this pilot never took that option.
Good: Girlfried is in Brazil and of course is fluent in Portuguese
Bad: She's IN Brazil right now
Good: I'm flying to Brazil on Friday
Thanks Man
Yet another preventable casualty. Tragic. There's been way many..
And just as it was coming to the ground whoever was filming put the camera down right before it hit the ground. So you couldn't actually see the crash
to hear the instructor LAUGH 2:52 while this student is clearly in big trouble is appealing, this just won't leave my mind, I am thinking criminal charges, negligent homicide.. he fuggen laughed at him
Hello Kyle I was wondering how much you would charge to tell me how to get my paramotor up running
I think gravity may have played a major role in this mishap ...
I don’t have any paragliding experience, but to me it looks like a regular stall. It’s it possible that his riding the brakes (which I would guess is most like flying with flaps down on an airplane) made him dependent on wind speed for lift? When the wind shifted slightly it just dropped him out of the sky?
He never stalled, but rather did the equivalent of dumping one flap quickly causing a "shoot", where the wing got way out in front of him. Visually, a paraglider stall will ball up and fall back behind the pilot.
He just stalled it out
fatal error is going up when there is too much wind for the experience
Heartbreakingly sad.
I almost got into this sport, then I found out too many people died doing it. About as dangerous as the wing suit.
No where near as risky as that. It ranks safer than a motorcycle on a public roadway, and more dangerous than a motor vehicle.
listen to the engine when the student is coming in towards the beach.. fear. and panic. maybe the instructor could have mentioned come off. a little with the power. RIP.
Such a tragedy. Def a nose down spiral. I’d wager that he pulled right brake as well
He never let go of the right side. Had it buried the entire time.
What I get out of it is that i don't want to try it.
As commercial pilot
Road /mtn bike
Scuba diver
Street/ dirt motorcycle
Water/ snow skier
Id never do this glider stuff
Cheers
True that it's not for everyone. Statistically it is proven to be a safer activity than street motorcycles.
I think it was just too windy a location to be for even an experienced pilot. If he just lets the thing run without hitting the brakes, this guy could have kept flying for miles, he could have went higher up and further inland....scary situation for sure. Sad something fun, or a hobby, turns into an end of life situation.
Is this analogous to a stall spin in a fixed wing aircraft?
Similar, but I never observed the glider stalled. When a paraglider stalls, it curls up behind, and is quite visible. In fixed wing terms, this is like an aggresive asymmetric recovery from slow flight while too low.
If he had his arms up he would have had more airspeed and more control of wing... was there good instruction idk... so much we don't know but low airspeed and gusty winds make for a bad combo low to ground ... very sad
I think the biggest mistake was circling so close to the ground, when he obviously can not control it 100%. Windy, above the sea... Many mistakes.
rip our friend,
I wonder what kind of glider that was. It banked over quick! I can't get my spyder to do that even if I try.
My theory is motor involvement plus or minus wind, but no way to know as the sound is too muffled.
@@kyleoglee Raises a good point. The wing might not have been suitable for a beginner, perhpas a design meant for more advanced para pilots. That being said he just didn't have enough altitude .
The comms from the Instructor were maybe overly encouraging and being very complimentary to Student - this could have given student over confidence to pull a quasi wing over at low altitude ‘ RIP ok mate
You should go full screen
flying is not for everyone. It looks like he was way behind the glider & was piloting reactively instead of actively. I don't fly PGs, so not sure on how student progression goes, but I've never seen an instructor have to yell that much for the student to react. Guy was clearly way in over his head.
My feelings as well Dave.
Fixed wing pilot here: this looked a lot like a stall spin ?
I'm private pilot as well rinzler. He was close, think slow flight, full flaps in fixed wing terms. Now imagine cleaning up the left wing in an instant while mashing right rudder. All while hanging under the aircraft on 20 feet of lines. Glider shoots and yaws, you swing out, then down. When these gliders stall/spin, the wing curls reward losing pressure. It's very visible. I didn't observe that. I think he was near stall, but never actually hit it.
@@kyleoglee sounds scary - its a self feeding cycle. I've come dangerously close on base to final doing dumb things like a steep bank with rudder at low speed, and then snapping out and applying power. Not an option with these things by the look of of it.
@@kyleoglee OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As a recently retired airline pilot as of Jan 2023, I've been through some "incidents" with no fatalities nor even serious injuries, but this is just plain terrifying! I wish you all the very best sir! Oh you kids....... ;-))
it taught me never to go paragliding
Thanks for the info, this still sucks...
That’s tough to watch. Thanks for the lessons learned. Yikes.
good crash hd cam videos are rare. Poor man.
This is dangerous activity; almost foolishly dangerous. If you fly these things,it is just a mater of time.
Yes, there is danger. Statistics show the risk lies somewhere just above operating a motor vehicle on the highway, and a good bit safer than a motorcycle. With that in mind, aviation as a whole is very unforgiving of any poor decisions. What you see in this video is a very rare scenario that unfolded in the worst way.
@@kyleoglee respectfully, seems to be a matter of wind sheer before the wing collapses (which will happen) hopefully it won’t happen at a low altitude. I would never suggest anyone shouldn’t have the freedom to participate, however. Be safe!
Where was this?
Brasil
Cool 😎👍