Incident
- ID:
- SFFL 35
- Incident category:
- Speed Flying Fatality List
- Date:
- 07. 09. 2013
- Time:
- —
- Cause of death:
- —
- Launch site:
-
Canada › Squamish › Stawamus Chief
Other incidents at this location: SFFL 48
Equipment
- Wing:
- ITV › Pil-Pit 3
- Wing size:
- 11.0 m²
- Safety devices:
- —
Personal
- Name:
- Jeff Bertoia
- Age:
- 36
- Weight:
- —
- Gender:
- Male
- Nationality:
- Canadian
- Experience level:
- —
- Experience description:
- —
- Time on wing:
- —
Circumstances
- Conditions:
- —
- Factors:
- Clipped tree in flight
Description
A 36 year old man died in a speed flying accident while flying off the Mount Habrich, Squamish. The group of 5 friends headed up the northwest side of the mountain for their Hike & Fly mission. At the launch site two mini wing Little Cloud Kangoos successfully flew off minutes before. Jeff was the first of the smaller wings to fly. I flight the right edge of his wing caught a tree and slammed him into a rock face followed by a 600-foot fall. Police received a 911 call at approximately 4:30 pm. We are still unsure as to how or why he clipped the tree with his wingtip. Possibly related to an aggressive turn or with him getting in trouble with glide path required to clear terrain. Equipment failure was not an issue. He was a member of the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada and was loved by Everyone.
Right wingtip clipped a tree and he impacted the rock cliff. Making glide may have also been a factor.
http://www.squamishchief.com/bertoia...iend-1.1046140
http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whi...nt?oid=2476843
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