Irish Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

Report of Tribunal of Inquiry - Hang Gliding Accident - David O'Quigley - 23 June 2007

Members of the IHPA Tribunal of Inquiry

At the IHPA Executive Committee meeting on 8^th November 2007 the Tribunal of Inquiry was appointed to report into the accident.  The Tribunal met on 19^th March 2008 and reviewed witness reports and the damage report on the hang glider.

Pilot:                              David O’Quigley

Glider:                           Avian Élan 14m² (first manufactured 1989) with a modern hang gliding harness

Reserve Parachute:    Metamorfosi Conar PDA

Witness Reports:         Phil O’Toole, Simon Curthoys  and Kelly Fitzgerald

Other Reports:             Evgeny Evstigneev, Daryn Clements, Harry Abraham, Simon Curthoys, and Jim O’Regan

#1     SYNOPSIS

A novice hang glider pilot flew in strengthening conditions contrary to the advice of more-experienced pilots.  He lost control, was blown back over the ridge and impacted the ground flying downwind resulting in serious spinal injury.

#2     FACTUAL INFORMATION

#2.1        Reporting

The accident was reported by the Gardai at the scene to the Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) of the Department of Transport on 23rd June 2007.  AAIU staff met with IHPA members at the accident site on the afternoon of the accident.

#2.2        Pilot Profile

The pilot had about one year’s experience totalling 10 hours total airtime – all on type.  The pilot received basic training at an FFVL-licensed school, Pre Vol Delta, in France in 2006 but did not return with a formal hang gliding qualification i.e. FFVL certificate or FAI IPPI card.

#2.3        Equipment Overview

The Avian Élan is no longer manufactured but is suitable for beginner to intermediate pilots.  The ‘Clip-In’ weight range for the wing is 51kg to 85kg (source: Avian Ltd.) and the pilot clipped in at about 74kg which places the pilot safely just above the mid-range point.  The wing was purchased second-hand in the UK by another pilot in or about 2004.

#2.4        Accident and Weather Overview

The accident happened on 23^rd June 2007 at the Westerly Car-Park near the Corrabut Gap at Mount Leinster (on the Carlow / Wexford border).  Conditions were moderate, westerly wind (approximately 17kts to 21kts) and gusting.  Cloudbase was at least 3,000 feet and overcast with approaching rain clouds.

#3     ANALYSIS

#3.1        The Accident

David O’Quigley arrived at the accident site around noon where he met other, more-experienced pilots who were rigging their hang gliders.  These more-experienced pilots (including Simon Curthoys) advised the pilot that conditions were beyond both his capabilities and the capability of his glider.  The pilot accepted these opinions and agreed not fly even though he had rigged his wing.  The other, more-experienced pilots then took off and ridge-soared safely in what they reported as strong and gusty conditions.

After some time the wind moderated significantly and became much smoother. Philip O’Toole, an experienced hang glider pilot who had arrived late, was preparing to launch when he saw David O’Quigley clipping in and preparing to launch. David O’Quigley did not have a red ribbon attached to the kingpost of his glider, which is a means of identifying inexperienced, low airtime pilots to others. Philip O’Toole assisted David O’Quigley to launch, which he did without incident. David O’Quigley ridge-soared for about 20 to 30 minutes in steadily increasing and gusty winds.  (Picture #1451) With a line of rain showers approaching, all the pilots in the air, except David O’Quigley flew out from the hill and landed in order to avoid the strong gust-front associated with such rain showers.

With no means of direct radio communication Philip O’Toole was unable to advise David O’Quigley that conditions were becoming unsafe for him.  Philip O’Toole and Kelly Fitzgerald then observed David O’Quigley having difficulty controlling his wing and penetrating the strengthening Venturi.  Philip O’Toole tried unsuccessfully to signal by hand to David O’Quigley that he should bottom-land as soon as possible.

David O’Quigley was directly in front of the ridge and about 100ft above take-off when he was seen to be banked beyond 60^o and turned downwind.  He managed to turn back into wind but was, by this time, well behind the ridge, in rotor and only about 20ft above the ground.  The glider then banked steeply and turned downwind for a second time.  At about 1:50pm the glider impacted the ground going downwind.  The crash site was a grassy field directly north of take-off.  The impact was not seen by Philip O’Toole or Kelly Fitzgerald as David O’Quigley went below their local horizon.  Philip O’Toole and Kelly Fitzgerald ran to the injured pilot, stabilised the glider and the pilot (to prevent further injury) and called the emergency services.  The glider and the accident site were preserved by the Gardai until the arrival of Jurgen Whyte of the AAIU later in the afternoon.  The ambulance arrived within about 30 minutes of the accident and David O’Quigley was taken to hospital. 

#3.2        Damage to the Glider

The glider was examined by Philip O’Toole and Jurgen Whyte at the accident site and again by Philip Lardner a few weeks later.  The following damage was noted and photographed:

#3.2.1   Left-hand side upright broken into two pieces (Picture #0001)

#3.2.2   Right-hand side upright bent 20^o out of true (Picture #0001)

#3.2.3   Base-bar bent out of true (Picture #0011)

#3.2.4   Keel slightly bent at the cross-boom junction

#3.2.5   Battens were bent - 4^th LHS from the keel and LHS tip-batten (Picture #0011)

#3.2.6   Grass was lodged in the inside of the right-hand side wheel (Picture #0013)

#4     CONCLUSIONS

#4.1        That the accident was caused by the pilot’s inexperience with flying in rapidly changing weather conditions and the control forces required to escape them.

#4.2        That David O’Quigley was not wearing a red ribbon and that he did not make his level of experience known to Philip O’Toole who assisted him to take off.  Had David O’Quigley been displaying a red ribbon then Philip O’Toole would have been alerted to the fact that David O'Quigley was a low air-time pilot with insufficient experience to fly in the prevailing conditions.

#5     RECOMMENDATIONS

#5.1        That intermediate and low air-time pilots must comply with IHPA’s requirement that they display a red ribbon until they have attained a pilot rating of Safe Pro 3 or Para Pro 3 and logged a further 10 hours in the air.

#5.2        That all pilots assisting an unfamiliar pilot to launch must explicitly determine the level of experience of the pilot they are assisting.

#5.3        That intermediate or inexperienced pilot pilots must explicitly communicate their level of experience to any other pilots assisting them at take-off.

#5.4        That low air-time pilots may only launch with the express permission of their assigned Coach following a full site and weather briefing, and must remain in direct radio contact with their Coach at all times during their flight.

#5.5        That the IHPA take steps to have one or more 2m band radio frequencies assigned for use by hang glider and paraglider pilots in Ireland as a major step towards increased safety in our sport, as is currently the practice worldwide. All pilots should then be strongly encouraged to carry and use 2m radio systems.

Concluding Remarks

This accident report is based on verbal and written reports collected within approximately 48 hours of the accident from all the pilots present that day. The Tribunal is grateful to Harry Abraham, Daryn Clements, Simon Curthoys, Evgeny Evstigneev, Kelly Fitzgerald, David O’Quigley, Jim O’Regan and Philip O’Toole for their witness statements.  The Tribunal is grateful to Jim O’Regan for his aerial photographs of the accident site just before the accident.

Simon Curthoys                                              Dara Hogan                                                 Philip Lardner

ATPL / Hang Glider SafePro 5              IHPA Chairman / ParaPro 4             IHPA Safety & Training Officer