Hooper Utah - paraglider with two on board - a father and son - were uninjured as they crashed into a crowd hitting multiple adults and children. Reports are 6 to 8 people injured - two flown by air ambulance.
WARNING; video catches the actual crash - into the crowd.
Initially I had trouble with the video link on Deseret News, and meanwhile I found this on Ch 13 news
The cameraman at first worries about the AC clearing the power lines, but it worked out OK. Then the video shows the AC powering up audibly once, then going briefly to “idle”, then revving again just as the craft nosed in. It sure looks like the loss of power (by throttling back or whatever) is what initiated the descent, and the second power-up was not enough to level and climb.
The story mentions the possibility that some of the stuff they were dropping (sponges?) might have blocked the intake or otherwise caused the loss of power. It’s too early to know.
I’d be interested to know if they did any dry runs on this, to become familiar with obstacles and wind effects. I also imagine they might have been trying to fly as low and slow as possible, so the candy drop wouldn’t hurt the kids.
I doubt they’ll be allowed to try again, regardless of any lessons learned or new procedures.
i thought it was a bunch of $1 bills, but maybe it was sponges, and the fans had plenty of time to move out of the way, you could see it coming for over 30 seconds im sure.
The story says sponges, so it must have been sponges. I didn’t make that up. Grr.
You could NOT tell that far in advance, nor would you know which way to run.
(a) These are not pilots on the ground looking up. They’re kids and parents.
(b) They have a tendency to trust the pilot until it’s clear he’s lost control.
(c) the AC was roughly level and >50ft up until the last loss of power; thus it’s not clear that it’s FUBAR until he throttles up for the last time before impact.
Verdict: the best of them might have guessed with 5 sec to spare. You would probably have been slow on your feet like the rest, because you wouldn’t believe your eyes.
<sniff, sniff> Can you smell it? Smells like…lawsuit
How can some dumb ass endanger other people like this? He needs to go to jail!
An update on this accident. 6 persons were transported to hospital, 3 adults who have all been released, and 3 children who remain in hospital.
As for the air vehicle, which I know little about - appears to be a Powered Parachute - and as a two seater - the pilot is required to have a Sport License. (and follow FAA rules!!)
As for the flying over the crowd, it was a local event, where the powered parachute passenger was throwing candy out for the kids - from the sound - the engine clearly cuts out - the passenger continues to throw candy - then the engine comes back to life - but lift is already lost - the collision imminent.
wikipedia powered parachute (paraplane, PPC)
Everybody was rushing toward it to collect the prizes being dropped. The video shows only SIX secods from first loss of power to impact, and it doesn’t really seem to be in any trouble at that point. I see only TWO seconds of time to react - and that’s simply not enough time for that type of incident.
Yes, it’s obvious now, but he’s a well-meaning fellow supporting a community event, you know, like a paratrooper Santa. Who’s gonna turn down an offer like that?
The problem is that among the planners, the accident pilot would have been the most qualified to judge the risk, and we see how well that worked out. AFAIK there are no FAA rules, surely no checklists, just makin’ it up as they go. Nobody among them knew what kind of risk assessment and risk management you can and should do for an event like that.
Lesson learned, I hope – at least for someone else’s community event.
The same people that think it’s cool to buzz peoples houses in a highly populated area.
It’s a helicopter, and it’s coming this way. It’s flying something behind it, I can’t quite make it out, it’s a large banner and it says, uh - Happy… Thaaaaanksss… giving! … From … W … K … R… P!! No parachutes yet. Can’t be skydivers… I can’t tell just yet what they are, but - Oh my God, Johnny, they’re turkeys!! Johnny, can you get this? Oh, they’re plunging to the earth right in front of our eyes! One just went through the windshield of a parked car! Oh, the humanity! The turkeys are hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement! Not since the Hindenberg tragedy has there been anything like this!
“As God is my witness I thought turkeys could fly!” - - Arthur Carlson, WKRP in Cincinnati
By far the best WKRP episode ever!!!
Two Easter’s ago a local church held a big egg hunt at the local soccer fields. The field was scattered with eggs containing prizes and a helicopter flew in and dumps several more bags full of additional eggs on to the field. It was really low and made me very nervous to say the least. This is on a smaller scale but, nonetheless, was an accident waiting to happen. I have a video of it, if I can find it I’ll post it up. Kids loved it, but like I said, it made me a little nervous.
I’m not a Sport Pilot and in general I have a very low opinion of people who are.
Is flying over a populated area at 100’ not against Sport Pilot regs?
Lock him up!!!
If you look at some of the scenes immediately after impact and the camera is going all over, you can still see people grabbing candy. Damn.
Why? Not everyone can afford, borrow, or justify thousands of dollars to do something just a few times a year as a hobby.
Because if you can’t afford to learn to fly you need to stay out of the sky. It’s that simple.
These people are a hazard to aviation and as this yoyo has proved a hazard to people on the ground.
Agreed! It’s called A I R S A F E T Y obviously these guys didn’t have a CLUE. Hope they have good umbrella coverage on their houses, cause if they are under-insured, they are screwed. Well, they are pretty much screwed either way. Too many injuries and all on video.
Copied From YouTube Comments After Video Posting
(a) Anywhere. An altitude allowing, if a power unit fails, an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface.
(b) Over congested areas. Over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over any open air assembly of persons, an altitude of 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal radius of 2,000 feet of the aircraft.
The guy was breaking a lot of FARs aviation rules by doing this. He is 100% liable for his actions and should pay. This was just stupidity. Yes PPCs are sensitive to wind and it was windy by looking at the flag. The rules are below.
Sec. 91.119 - Minimum safe altitudes: General.
Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes:
Maybe you’re not a dude after all?