Incident
- ID:
- SFFL 106
- Incident category:
- Speed Flying Fatality List
- Date:
- 27. 10. 2024
- Time:
- 11:00
- Cause of death:
- Low Maneuverer
- Launch site:
-
United States of America › California › North Side - Flight Park
Other incidents at this location: SFFL 99
Equipment
- Wing:
- Unknown › Loki 2
- Wing size:
- —
- Safety devices:
- None
Personal
- Name:
- K L
- Age:
- 29
- Weight:
- —
- Gender:
- Female
- Nationality:
- American
- Experience level:
- Beginner
- Experience description:
- 6 months experience
- Time on wing:
- —
Circumstances
- Conditions:
- Perfect No thermals
- Factors:
- Ground Low Manoeuvre
Description
Information from those on scene,
She launched from one of the upper launches and dumped her trimmers. Made 2 carving turns using the rear risers. Nothing aggressive but those turns got her closer to the terrain. She was pulling a lot of rear risers due to her wing loading, so the turns were slow but steepened up as she pulled.
The 3rd turn was about halfway down the mountain, and she was low but not super low to the terrain. She initiated a right turn towards the hill again using the rear risers similar to other turns. As the turn steepened she ended up pointing straight at a ridge. She was on the risers until just before the impact when it looked like she recognized she wasn't going to clear the ridge and stabbed the brakes.
Made impact with the ridge a few feet beneath the top, straight on, bounced over the ridge and rolled about 75 feet down the other side before coming to a rest on a small ledge.
A few pilots ran up to her within 2-3 minutes (she was up about 50 feet from us on a very steep and slippery slope). Was unconscious but still breathing when we arrived, stopped breathing within a few minutes and CPR was started but was unable to save her.