Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Paraglider Survives After Cessna Strikes Canopy Over Zell am See

Police say she suffered only light injuries as investigators probe how recreational paragliding and small tourist aircraft came into the same airspace.

Overview

  • The collision occurred Saturday, May 23, and left the 44-year-old paraglider with only light injuries before she was flown out by a police helicopter.
  • Footage shows a Cessna 172 crossing the paraglider's canopy, and the woman deployed her emergency parachute to reach a forest road several hundred metres below.
  • The Cessna pilot performed an emergency landing minutes later and told authorities he spotted the paraglider too late to avoid contact.
  • Video of the impact spread on social media and the victim wrote on Instagram that she felt like it was her "second birthday," describing shock but only minor bruises and cuts.
  • Officials have opened inquiries to establish the precise circumstances and responsibility, and the incident raises questions about how leisure paragliding and small tourist flights share local alpine airspace.