Particle.news
Download on the App Store

German Wingsuit Pilot Dies After Loss of Control in Swiss Alps

Swiss federal prosecutors have opened a technical investigation, with cantonal alpine teams carrying out on-site work to determine how the crash happened.

Overview

  • Two German wingsuit pilots launched from the Gigerwaldspitz near Bad Ragaz and at about 2,080 metres the 47-year-old jumped first and immediately went into a spin before crashing, a flight that occurred Friday and left him dead at the scene.
  • The Swiss air rescue service Rega recovered the man’s body and his 37-year-old companion was unhurt.
  • The Alpine Einsatzgruppe of the St. Gallen cantonal police is conducting on-site examinations while the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office leads a formal technical inquiry into the cause of the accident.
  • Authorities have not released a definitive cause and said investigators will examine pilot actions, equipment, weather and terrain as possible factors in the crash.
  • Wingsuit flying is a high-risk sport that leaves little margin for error, and this death follows another fatal Swiss wingsuit accident the previous Thursday, a pattern that could prompt renewed scrutiny of safety and cross-border alpine operations.