Hang glider died after attempting loop manoeuvre

A HANG GLIDER died after attempting to perform a manoeuvre that neither he nor his equipment were qualified to perform, according to an official report into the accident.

Shane O’Reilly, 33, from Dublin, died last year in hospital from his injuries nine days after the incident. His death is believed to be the first hang gliding fatality in the history of the sport in Ireland.

The incident happened during the Celtic Cup Hang Gliding competition on May 25, 2003 at Mount Leinster near the Carlow-Wexford border.

The accident, captured on video, showed Mr O’Reilly getting into difficulty while attempting to perform a loop in his hang glider at Pollshone, near Courtown, Co Wexford.

However, Mr O’Reilly failed to complete the manoeuvre and slid backwards into a series of reverse loops causing the pilot to lose control of the equipment. He was also unable to open his reserve parachute in sufficient time before hitting the ground.

He died on June 3 last year at St Vincent’s Hospital as a result of multiple-organ injuries.

Although Mr O’Reilly, was an international prize-winning hang glider with 20 years’ experience, a report by the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport concluded he was trying to carry out an action he was not qualified to perform.

The AAIU found that the hang glider also had insufficient air speed at the top of the loop to complete the manoeuvre

It said his Climax 13 hang glider is not certified for aerobatic manoeuvres The AAIU said that the Irish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association should issue a safety notice to pilots that they should not attempt to perform manoeuvres outside the manufacturer’s specified flying parameters.