Paraglider crash into electricity wires cut power to 1,000 Kerry homes

Investigation found aircraft was unregistered, while pilot was not appropriately licensed and did not hold a medical certificate

Paragliders above the Swiss Alps in 2005. File picture: AP Photo/Keystone, Schweizerischer Haengegleiter-Verband, Martin Scheel

A paraglider who crashed into electricity wires at a caravan park on the Dingle peninsula last year caused power cuts to over 1,000 homes in the area.

An investigation by the Air Accident Investigation Unit into the incident found the powered paraglider was unregistered, while the pilot was not appropriately licensed and did not hold a medical certificate.

The incident occurred on May 27, 2020, at a caravan park outside Camp, Co Kerry.

The AAIU said that many of the rules, regulations and safety information which applied to aircraft also applied to foot-launched powered aircraft like paragliders.

It noted the Irish Aviation Authority is developing a pilot licence specifically for such aircraft.

The 59-year-old paraglider had taken off earlier from Magharees, Co Kerry, for a short leisure flight.

Loss of altitude

The pilot, who had 700 hours experience of flying, claimed the incident occurred after he failed to adjust the setting of the wing trim after making a turn which resulted in a rapid loss of altitude.

The paraglider became entangled in 1,000-volt power lines above the caravan park during the descent.

The cables broke and the pilot suffered cuts to his face, requiring treatment in hospital after falling to the ground while the canopy of the paraglider was destroyed.

One eyewitness thought the paraglider was trying to fly under the cable after he had turned.

The AAIU said it did not believe that wind alone was a significant factor in the incident.

It warned that wire and cable strikes were the cause of numerous aviation accidents often with fatal consequences.

“Electrical transmission cables are difficult to observe from the air due to both the camouflage effect of background scenery and the limitations of the human eye,” the AAIU said.