Overview
- A sightseeing Cessna 172 struck a paraglider’s canopy near Piesendorf, Austria, tearing fabric and suspension lines and sending the pilot into a violent spin before she opened her reserve parachute.
- The paraglider, a 44-year-old woman identified as Sabrina, deployed her emergency reserve chute and made an emergency landing with only bruises and contusions before being flown by police helicopter for medical checks.
- The Cessna, piloted by a 28-year-old man, landed safely at Zell am See Airport and has told investigators he could not avoid the paraglider.
- The collision, which occurred on Saturday, May 23, was captured on the paraglider’s helmet camera and has been recovered by authorities as part of a formal investigation into how the two aircraft came to share the same low‑altitude airspace.
- The incident highlights safety tensions where light sightseeing aircraft and unpowered recreational flyers operate close together and could prompt reviews of local procedures on flight paths, visibility rules, and pilot see‑and‑avoid practices.