2001 US
Paragliding Accident Summary
by Jim Little
(JimLittle[at]mac[dot]com)
USHGA received
80 reports of incidents and accidents this year. This represents a substantial increase from the 43 reports
received last year, which appears to be due to improved reporting by pilots and
not an increase in the accident rate.
29 of the reports (36%) were about incidents. Incidents
are broadly defined as any outcome of a flight that was not intended by the
pilot but did not result in an injury.
51 of the reports (64%) were for accidents, which are defined as any incident
resulting in an injury to the passenger or pilot.
Paul Klemond,
the prior paragliding accident chair for USHGA, previously had estimated that
only one in four accidents are reported to USHGA. It is clear that under-reporting continues to be an
issue. Accidents that result in
serious injury are more likely to be reported than accidents with minor
injuries, or incidents where injury is avoided. Because of this, the annual accident summary likely
overestimates the severity of injuries received. In medical research this is known as reporting bias. Pilots who are involved in incidents or
minor-injury accidents are encouraged to report these, even if they seem inconsequential,
so we can develop more meaningful statistics regarding types of injuries and
severity.
|
Phase |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
|
Kiting |
1% |
2% |
8% |
6% |
|
Launching |
32% |
20% |
27% |
23% |
|
Takeoff |
24% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Departure |
8% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
In-Flight |
29% |
52% |
27% |
26% |
|
Aerobatics |
1% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Landing |
38% |
25% |
39% |
45% |
|
Approach |
19% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
LZ |
19% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
In prior years, the phase of flight was limited to kiting, launching, in-flight, or landing. Kiting means the pilot is clipped in but did not intend to leave the ground. This year, an attempt was made to classify Launching accidents by whether they occurred during the takeoff phase (set up, building wall, kiting, and launching) or Departure (from leaving the ground until established in flight). Landing accidents were also classified based on whether they occurred as a result of problems during approach, or problems occurring in the actual LZ. A separate category also was added for accidents occurring during intentional aerobatics. Only one report attributed the primary reason for the accident to aerobatics. Several other reports made by witnesses or pilots implied that intentional aerobatics were a contributing factor.
The increase in in-flight accidents in 2000 appears to have been spurious, although redefining the categories to include "departure" and "approach" accidents may account for some of this variation. Of the in-flight accidents, at least 19 (83%) happened when a collapse occurred and the pilot was close to the ground. Several of these pilots stated in retrospect that they knew they were flying too close, and felt the collapse would have been easily recoverable if they had had been at a higher altitude.
Of the accidents occurring on launch, 19 out of 25 (64%) occur while the pilot is on the ground or immediately after lift off. The primary cause of 75% of the accidents occurring on launch was a poorly inflated launch. Launching in strong wind or cross wind are common contributing factors (see discussion of factors below). Two launch accidents were reported by pilots who stated lines snagged on leg-mounted varios. Pilots should take precautions to prevent their vario or other equipment from catching lines during launch.
Landing accidents account for 38% of accidents, and are evenly divided between those occurring due to problems during approach or failure to plan the approach, and those occurring on landing in the intended LZ. The most common factors in landing are: collision with obstacles in the LZ; poorly planned approach; landing outside the intended LZ; turbulence or thermals on approach; and turning low to the ground (see below).
Here is the breakdown of injuries for the past several years:
Nature of Injury |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
||||
|
Qty |
% |
Qty |
% |
Qty |
% |
Qty |
% |
|
|
Head |
0 |
0 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Face |
0 |
0 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Neck |
1 |
1% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Back |
20 |
25% |
12 |
38% |
12 |
29% |
5 |
23% |
|
Chest |
3 |
4% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Abdomen |
3 |
4% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Pelvis |
0 |
0 |
4 |
13% |
3 |
7% |
3 |
14% |
|
Arm |
11 |
14% |
2 |
6% |
3 |
7% |
5 |
23% |
Shoulder |
3 |
4% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Forearm |
1 |
1% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Wrist |
3 |
4% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Leg |
27 |
34% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Femur |
1 |
1% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Knee |
1 |
1% |
2 |
6% |
4 |
10% |
2 |
9% |
|
Tibia/Fibula |
6 |
8% |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
|
Ankle |
8 |
10% |
7 |
22% |
7 |
17% |
4 |
18% |
|
Foot |
4 |
5% |
5 |
16% |
7 |
17% |
5 |
23% |
|
Severity of
Injuries |
2001 |
|
|
Qty |
% |
|
|
Fracture |
33 |
65% |
|
Sprain |
10 |
20% |
|
Laceration |
3 |
6% |
|
Bruise |
11 |
22% |
|
Minor |
1 |
2% |
|
Unknown |
4 |
8% |
|
Dislocation |
3 |
6% |
Again, we have tried to add more detail to the statistics this year, by specifying more precisely which body part was injured. Totals given for arm and leg injuries exceed the numbers reported for specific parts because some pilots did not specify the exact location of the injury. The severity of reported injuries is likely overestimated due to reporter bias (see discussion above). Many pilots do not report minor injuries such as cuts, bruises and sprains. There were a total of 51 injury accidents reported. 35 pilots (44%) sought care in the emergency department or from their physicians, and 23 accidents resulted in overnight stays in the hospital (29%).
It is remarkable that no serious head injuries were reported this year, and 100% of the accident reports stated the pilot was wearing a helmet. Good work pilots! This is a testament to the benefits that using appropriate safety equipment can have.
Paragliding accidents result in an unacceptably high number of severe back injuries. Twelve of the 20 back injuries reported this year resulted in fractures (60%). While most of these spine fractures do not result in permanent neurological damage, they are painful, expensive, and involve long recoveries. Some of these accidents resulted in prolonged hospital stays, neurological damage and long-term disability to the pilots. Pilots, equipment manufacturers, and instructors should make reducing back injuries our highest priority. Prior studies by equipment manufacturers and DHV have shown that wearing a foam back protector reduces the frequency and severity of back injuries. One accident report noted that a student in training injured his back using a harness with a rigid back protector. Pilots and instructors should be aware that rigid back protectors have been shown to increase the risk of spinal injury. These back protectors should be replaced with the soft foam type.
Leg injuries were the second most common types of injuries. Twelve of the 27 leg injuries reported (44%) were fractures. Fractures of the talus and calcaneus (bones in the heel) and complex tibia/fibula fractures accounted for prolonged recovery in several pilots. These types of fractures may require multiple surgeries and extended time in a wheelchair or crutches to heal. Studies of footwear by military skydivers show that the severity of foot and ankle injuries can be reduced by proper footwear with adequate lateral support. One pilot who fractured his ankle reported that the injury occurred in tennis shoes and may have been avoided with correct footwear.
Studies by sport and military skydivers have consistently shown that correct PLF technique can reduce the frequency of back and leg injuries. Several injured pilots reported that they landed with legs extended, and others commented that a correct PLF might have prevented their injuries. One very experienced instructor pilot walked away from an accident on mountainous terrain after a correct PLF. Pilots should be prepared to PLF with every landing, and should practice the technique frequently to ensure that it will be done properly and instinctively when necessary. One resource for information about PLF technique is: http://safety.army.mil/messages/parachute_landings.html
There were no paragliding fatalities reported in 2001 due to unpowered foot-launched flight. This continues the downward trend since 1998 for paragliding fatalities.
|
Year |
# Fatalities |
|
2001 |
0 |
|
2000 |
1 |
|
1999 |
1 |
|
1998 |
4 |
|
1997 |
4 |
|
1996 |
4 |
There was one fatality reported to USHGA this year involving a paramotor pilot. Since paramotor accidents have not been previously included in the overall accident statistics, this fatality is not listed in the table above. However, the contributing factors of this accident are worthy of mention. The fatality occurred when the pilot locked into a spiral dive while doing intentional aerobatics at low altitude over water without a rescue boat or flotation devices. The pilot was unable to escape from his harness after hitting the water and drowned. This pilot had reportedly attended a maneuvers training clinic, and several witnesses who knew the pilot said they had warned him about doing aerobatics at low altitude without proper safety equipment. Aerobatics appear to be growing in popularity among paraglider pilots, and this fatality imparts several important lessons: aerobatics close to the water or the ground, without attention to proper safety and rescue equipment, can be fatal.
Unfortunately, as of April 2002, there has already been one fatal paragliding accident in the United States. Let's do our best to make that the only fatality this year.
Qualifications
of Injured Pilots:
|
Rating |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
|||
|
|
# incidents reported |
% of total reports |
#
active USHGA members with rating |
Accident rate (# incidents per 100
pilots) |
% of total reports |
% of total reports |
% of total reports |
Student/None
|
5 |
6% |
N/a |
-- |
16% |
6% |
-- |
|
P1 |
9 |
11% |
648 |
1.38 |
9% |
17% |
5% |
|
P2 |
29 |
36% |
1969 |
1.47 |
25% |
29% |
39% |
|
P3 |
14 |
18% |
1142 |
1.22 |
23% |
11% |
27% |
|
P4 |
12 |
15% |
828 |
1.44 |
23% |
11% |
25% |
|
P5 |
2 |
3% |
32 |
6.25 |
7% |
3% |
4% |