Paraglider Survives Midair Collision With Cessna in Austria
PIESENDORF, Austria — A paraglider in Austria survived a terrifying midair collision with a Cessna single-engine aircraft Saturday after the plane’s propeller tore through her wing, sending her into an emergency descent before she managed to deploy her reserve parachute.
The incident happened at about 1:15 p.m. on May 23 above the Pinzgauer Hütte near Piesendorf, close to Zell am See in Austria’s Pinzgau region. The paraglider, a 44-year-old woman from Upper Austria identified in local media as Sabrina T., had launched from the Schmittenhöhe area and was flying toward Piesendorf when the aircraft approached from behind.
Video recorded by the paraglider shows the aircraft closing rapidly before striking the canopy. Within seconds, the main paraglider wing was badly damaged and the pilot was thrown into a violent spin. Despite the shock and loss of control, she was able to reach and deploy her reserve parachute, which slowed the descent and allowed her to land on a nearby forest road.
The woman later posted the footage to Instagram, describing the day as a symbolic “second birthday.” Local reports said she suffered bruises and contusions and later sought medical treatment, but she avoided serious injury.
The pilot of the Cessna, a 28-year-old man from Tyrol, was reportedly conducting an alpine sightseeing flight from the Glemmtal area toward Zell am See when the collision occurred. He told police he was unable to avoid the paraglider in time. Despite fabric and lines from the paraglider becoming tangled with the aircraft, he was able to continue to Zell am See Airport and land safely.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the collision. ORF Salzburg reported that early information suggesting the paraglider had been maneuvering was later corrected by alpine police, who said she had been flying straight when the aircraft came from behind.
The accident is drawing widespread attention in the free-flight community because of both the dramatic video and the unusually survivable outcome. Midair collisions between powered aircraft and paragliders are rare, but they underscore the challenges of see-and-avoid flying in shared mountain airspace, where sightseeing aircraft, paragliders and other recreational aviators may operate in close proximity.
Christoph Lindenthaler of the Austrian Alpine Police told ORF that right-of-way rules in the air are generally clear, noting that powered aircraft are required to give way to unpowered aircraft. Investigators have not yet determined why that separation was lost in this case.
Zell am See Airport officials also noted that the surrounding area is not controlled airspace in the same way as a larger airport environment. Recreational and general aviation traffic can share the airspace, making vigilance, traffic awareness and conservative separation especially important.
For paragliders, the incident is also a stark reminder of the value of carrying and practicing reserve deployment. In this case, the pilot’s quick reaction after the canopy was shredded appears to have been the difference between a fatal accident and a bruising but survivable landing.
Both pilots survived, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Sabrina’s original post is located on her Instagram page.
