This page covers paragliding (and some hang gliding and speed wing) accidents in Utah.

(This is not an all inclusive list, as many go unreported, or were not identified.)

March 22, 2002
Pilot from WVC injured at south side. Life flighted to LDS hospital. Two broken legs, four fractured vertebrae, and collapsed lung. One month in medical hospital, one month in rehab hospital.

Months of recovery, including skin grafts from thigh onto calf due to compartment syndrone. Skin taken from thigh. Even after all this, and after extensive therapy, pilot was able to return to almost full activity, including racquetball, hiking and backpacking. The ability of the human body to heal and recover is amazing. 

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Bountiful, June 15, 2003

A Bountiful man lost control of his paraglider Saturday, crash- landing into a tree in Centerville Saturday. The man, who is in his 50s, was not injured, Davis County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Harper said. Both the man and his son were paragliding off of Ward Canyon Lookout in Bountiful about 3:30 p.m., when the man began to spiral. He deployed a second emergency parachute and was able to maneuver the paraglider enough to crash land in a tree on a Centerville hillside. His son, who is in his 20s, followed suit, trying to stay close to his father, Harper said. Deputies called air medical helicopters to help spot the pair and located them so paramedics could hike into the area. The son also was not injured, Harper said.

POM - North Side - Feb. 1, 2004 Two Salt Lake County residents were hospitalized Saturday after a paragliding accident. The pair, a man and a woman, both in their mid-20s, was tandem base-jumping in Draper when the chute of their paraglider folded at its center, causing a more rapid descent, Draper Police Sgt. Michael Beesley said. The couple smashed into the windshield of a pickup truck parked at the base of the mountain.

A witness said the pair was about 200 feet above ground when the chute went awry, Beesley said. Police were called about 6:12 p.m., he added. "The general consensus was this was just a fluke accident," Beesley said. "They can't attribute it to anything at this point." The names of couple were not released. The woman was airlifted with lower back pain. The man was taken by ambulance to a different hospital, but Beesley was uncertain where each was taken. No one on the ground was injured.

Genola, UT May 6, 2004 Deseret News (Salt Lake City), A paraglider suffered severe head injuries Wednesday when a gust of wind picked him up on takeoff and slammed him into the ground, according to the Utah County Sheriff's Office. The man's identity wasn't released, pending notification of relatives. The man, in his 30s, was taken by helicopter ambulance to a Utah County hospital. The incident occurred north of Genola on the west side of West Mountain about 5 miles west of Lincoln Beach at Goshen Bay, according to police.

POM Hang Glider Pilot - April 14, 2005

Hang glider pilot experiences a nose-over when landing on the North side. Loses consciousness momentarily. Lifeflighted to hospital.
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POM - April 17, 2005   
  At about sunset Sunday evening, a local pilot  Dane G. took a deflation while flying the S. side. An eyewitness reported that he had a cravatte and that he spiraled into the hill. He suffered injuries to his pelvis.

It is worth noting that it was very windy, the weather was changing and that he took the deflation as he was blowing back. I don't know  if he was using the speed system or not. It is very tempting to use  the speed system to avoid blowing back. BUT, it's use can result in  bigger than expected deflations and longer, more altitude consuming  recoveries. It may be better(on a hill with a flat top) be better to blow back and land on top.

Deseret News, Monday, April 18, 2005
Paraglider gets tangled and tumbles 75 feet but is OK after hospital visit
A paraglider who fell about 75 feet after catching a bad wind current is going to be OK.
The man was paragliding on the Utah County side of Point of the Mountain Sunday when  an air current caused his cords to tangle, said Utah County sheriff's deputy Matt Higley. The man tried to untangle the cords as he went into a spin, but crashed feet-first to the  ground. He complained of pain in his pelvis and lower extremities and was flown to  University Hospital by AirMed helicopter, Higley said. Witnesses said the man could have  fallen from up to 100 feet, he said, adding that the man is pretty lucky.

Wing: Yellow Edel, DHV-1

Inspo - May 14, 2005 - At about 2 pm on Saturday, a female pilot went into a tight spin/spiral from about 500 feet up in the air. She landed on the south side of the gazebo hill just above the cemetery. A friend landed nearby to provide assistance. 911 was called, and she was taken by ambulance. Last report indicated broken ankles and femur.

Inspo - June 4, 2005 - During the afternoon, a day with plenty of cumulus cloud development, but no nearby  overdevelopment., a pilot was one to two thousand feet above ground: "He had an asymetric that reinflated into a cravat. He then got an asymetric on the other side which also cravated. He got one of them out and that started him into a hard spiral and that is when he threw. He landed in front of a house in a cul-de-sac. I guess his wing went partially on top of the house." After having thrown his reserve, and it opened, a local instructor over the radio told him to 'B-line' the glider. The pilot radioed immediately upon landing to indicate that he was down and uninjured.

POM - North side - July 27, 2005. Paraglider pilot was low over the North Side and either went too far back over the hill, or got blown back at a low elevation over the top on the east end of the hill. Accident happened about 7:30 pm. The paraglider took a 50 percent collapse in rotor behind the hill and did not recover before the pilot contacted the ground. Paramedics and fire truck responded and the pilot was airlifted to LDS Hospital with back and possibly neck and/or leg injuries. Alex Taylor was interviewed on TV Channels 2 and 4.

If you weren't on the North side last night to witness news
firsthand, you've undoubtedly heard or seen the news reports about Shawn K's Life Flight trip in the local media.

It was on the strongish side last night and Shawn tried a larger
glider than what he usually flies. He admits he struggled at launch with forward penetration. Despite his early struggle, he benched up. Immediately upon clearing the upper ridge, he was blown back.  He used full speed bar but became unstable in rotor and suffered a 60%+ deflation. He did not try big ears or teaking his A's as he was already low over the ground and panicked. He prepared for a hard landing. He landed on his feet in PLF fashion. The spot he landed was a ridge side in a hardly visible little canyon. Luckily, another pilot saw him go down. A skilled and kind pilot named Alex top landed the North side and hiked down to Shawn. Shawn couldn't move because of the intense pain in his back and ankle. Alex alerted emergency crews, which became Life Flight because of Shawn's
back injury. Thanks Alex for your thoughtfulness, bravery, expert explanation on television, and for fighting the red ants off of Shawn. He was especially grateful to have someone brushing the biting ants off of him. He landed in a fierce little ant pile.

Shawn was flown to LDS hospital where X rays revealed a compression fracture to his T12 vertebrae and a little chip from another vertebrae. He has a sprained ankle, but has been spared any internal, spinal or brain damage. He was in the ICU last night, but after several CT scans and x rays, the doctors think his spinal injury will not require surgery and he may be released in a brace in several days. Thanks so much Alex, and all others who stopped to help. We are very grateful.

As for my vantage to the event, I was flying above him and saw him ascending below me. I saw him flying behind the ridge and shook my head at him in disapproval--we should have been wearing our radios.
What I didn't realize was that he couldn't penetrate forward into
the wind and he was being blown back despite all his efforts. I
made a turn down the ridge and came back to where Shawn had been.
Another glider of the same type and colors was flying out front and I assumed it was him. Twenty minutes later, when I returned to the upper ridge again, I looked down and noticed several paragliders laid out on the ground on the upper ridge. I thought it unusual and then noticed someone standing on the edge waving his arms and yelling. I was 1000 ft over the upper ridge and couldn't hear what he was saying, but immediately began to feel sick and panicked. A little further down the ridge, I saw another glider laid out that resembled Shawn's.

I immediately flew out, but it took another 20 minutes for me to
land. By the time I was coming in for a landing, ambulances and
firetrucks were streaming in to the flight park. I was praying and
fighting tears all the way down. By the time I landed, I knew it
was Shawn. Life flight landed shortly thereafter. There was no
communication from the top of the ridge to the launch area yet. I
spent another 20-30 minutes waiting for news along with other pilots on launch. Thanks Lori, Dale, Ken and Nikki and others who talked with and waited with me in a calming manner...

As Life Flight lifted off, news from the top came by cell phone to a pilot near me on the ground. It was verified that the injured party was Shawn and they were on the way to LDS Hospital. I met up with Shawn in the emergency room--he was joking about being upset that they lost one of his new shoes when they cut his clothes off on the mountain. I knew he'd be fine! BTW if anyone sees a grey and red North Face shoe up there--I have the other one.

POM - North side - Aug 7, 2005 - The paraglider pilot hurt was Mike Steen. He is the young, crew cut, instructor who works for Cloud Nine. Apparently he was doing a death spiral, ie spiraling to near the ground, and miscalculated, not pulling out soon enough. He had a concussion and he busted one lumbar vertebrae and herniated the disk. He is getting fusion surgery and they will put in a cage at that level.

The update on Mike, an awesome local pilot who fumbled on the N. Side
last night is that he; -
was doing a spiral to landing and ended up in one of the gullies
-was flown to LDS hospital and is now in room: West 652
-hurt his back but will need some time and some fixin'
-will make a full recovery

(ABC 4 News)- A Utah paraglider got stuck high atop a tree Sunday afternoon (Aug. 28, 2005) in Big Cottonwood Canyon and thanks to some honeymooners returned to ground safely.

Regina was out enjoying a flight above Utah's mountains when she all of sudden ran into trouble. Regina said, "As soon as I turned around over those trees, it was too late."

Regina lost lift in her paraglider and fell in the trees. She sat perched high above the ground yelling for help. In a cabin nearby just below the tall timber, honeymooners Matt and Ashley Pinnell were honeymooning heard Regina's screams for help.

The Pinnell's waited with Regina until firefighter's came to her rescue. Regina was uninjured and plans to paraglide again.

Paraglider Suffers Injuries After Hard Landing (KUTV News) -Sep. 26, 2005

OREM A man is recovering in the hospital after making a hard landing while paragliding Monday.

Police say 45-year-old N.  Johnson of Minnesota was about 30 feet in the air when a downward gust forced him to the ground. Utah County Sheriff Sergeant Darren Gilbert says Johnson landed at a 45-degree angle, causing injuries to his hip and lower back.

Johnson was conscious when paramedics arrived. A hospital spokeswoman says Johnson was taken to the Utah Valley Regional Hospital in serious condition.

Inspo - Oct. 13, 2005 - Pilot injured during attempted launch from Inspiration Point. Nick broke hand or arm, and had minor facial cuts. Call was made to 911, and paramedics responded and took pilot to hospital. Accident occurred mid-afternoon on a sunny day, during moderate fall thermal conditions, which, at this time of year, would normally be considered reasonable flying conditions. Winds aloft were light from the southwest. No further information available.

POM - Apr 26, 2006 - Pilot's reserve deployed unintentionally, over 3/4 launch, landed approximately 200 feet behind 3/4 launch. DHV-2 wing. Hurt back and/or leg. Ambulances, fire truck and paramedics were summoned. Taken to hospital by ambulance. Hairline fracture only.

Syracuse, UT - May 1, 2006 - Powered paraglider on trike, flying tandem, and doing touch and go's, clipped the gutter on a nearby house, and cart-wheeled several times in the air before hitting the ground. Pilots taken to hospital.

(KUTV) SALT LAKE CITY An elderly man and his son were flown to the hospital Monday after the small powered paraglider they were flying in crashed into a house. A 73-year-old Ben Whicker from Kaysville and his son, 50-year-old Glenn Whicker of Dale City, Va., were both flown to the hospital after their powered paraglider crashed into a home in western Davis County. The accident happened around 4:30 Monday at 1700 South 4000 West in Syracuse, southwest of Ogden.

According to Glenn Whicker, the pilot, he was doing take-offs and landings about half a mile from the crash site but was unable to gain enough altitude to clear the building. One witness says the wheel of the paraglider clipped the garage and sent the aircraft cart-wheeling into the front yard of the home. Witnesses saw gasoline leaking onto the men and hurried to assist.

Authorities report that the older man sustained a number of injuries including a broken back, broken leg and broken ankle as well as abdominal and chest injuries. The younger man had a compound fracture of the leg and a torn ear. Police say neither sustained life-threatening injuries.

Man Injured in Paraglider Accident
June 29th, 2006 @ 11:34am
(KSL News) -- Crews have rescued a paraglider who crashed at the point of the mountain this morning.

They say the 23-year-old man was about 50 feet from the top when he lost control of the glider and
crashed into the hillside. He was taken to the hospital. Officials say the man complained of back pain that was spreading into his legs.

Summer, 2006. POM - North Side. A paraglider pilot flew too close to the hill and a sagebrush caught his backpack and put him into a spin .

September 1, 2006. POM - North Side. Unfortunately tonight a paraglider was struck by an RC and emergency vehicles were called to take the pilot for medical treatment. It was a sad situation for everyone who witnessed the incident.

January 10, 2007 (approx) Valle de Bravo. there was an accident of a US paragliding pilot in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. He was coming in for what appeared to be a normal landing, and apparently clipped a fence, and somehow turned and hit the back of his helmet such that it was dented in on the back. He was unconscious for an hour, transported to medical facilities in Mexico, and had suffered a concussion with some blood clots in his brain. He was soon transported to the US, and seemed to be recovering reasonably well, but after about two weeks, died as a result of a blood clot. He passed away in Denver, Colorado. His name was Pierre D. and was approx 60 years of age.

March 24, 2007, approx 3 pm - 'Y' Mountain. (KUTV) PROVO - A paraglider was injured on Saturday afternoon after crashing into the terrain near "Y" mountain in Provo. The man was paragliding with some friends when the accident happened. "He was a little too close to the ground... and wasn't able to recover," said friend Thomas Hoskins. The paraglider was not seriously hurt, but authorities say his injuries could have been much worse. "He hit the ground and the chute collapsed, and I though 'boy he is in trouble,'" said witness Jared Miller. It was not immediately clear what caused the paraglider to crash.

Pilot was Mark M. of Wyoming. Witnesses indicated he was flying too close to terrain, doing some mild wingovers. Took a collapse, and was too close to terrain to sufficiently recover. Pilot was conscious, and was able to move all extremities, but had back pain. He was carried down the Y trail on an ATV by Provo Fire and Rescue.

Hard Landing Sends Paraglider to the Hospital March 25th, 2007

(KSL News) A paraglider was hospitalized this evening after making a hard landing in the hills above Salt Lake's Avenues.

The hills above the upper Avenues are a popular spot for hiking and biking. Today was especially busy because of the warm weather. One family was on the trail when they looked up and noticed a man paragliding. They started taking photos with their digital camera. They soon realized the paraglider was in trouble. Kiefer Nunley said, "[He] kept swinging side to side. His feet were dangling down and he didn't have control. Then he hit the ground and he bounced. Then he was just laying there."

Kiefer and Sawyer Nunley realized the man was hurt. Their mom called 911. Other people in the area ran up to the man to see if he was OK. It's unclear what caused the pilot to lose control. "It was like he was falling, not really gliding," Nunley said. "He just started falling down."

Dennis McKone, assistant chief with the Salt Lake City Fire Department said, "He dropped 30, 40, 50 feet, hit on his feet, which made him hit the hillside and then fall forward. Our medics reached him. He was conscious, breathing, talking with them. [He] complained of severe back pains." The man was taken by helicopter to LDS Hospital. The area above the upper Avenues is not as popular for paragliding as Point of the Mountain, but people have been seen paragliding in the area from time to time.

June 2, 2007 - Saturday - North Side, POM
On Saturday there was an accident on the North side where a paraglider pilot (Brad ) was doing some thermalling maneauvers and ended up behind the hill in the rotor.  He ended up with about a 70% collapse and into the trees.  Everyone needs to remember that if cars are parked on the North side landing area, we need to land ASAP!  Life Flight was called and the pilot was taken to the hospital. He had a broken leg and crushed heel. He also fractured two vertebra in his back.

SL Tribune article - A 43-year-old paraglider was taken by helicopter to a local hospital after landing about a mile east of Point of the Mountain Flight Park near the border of Salt Lake and Utah counties Saturday night. The man called 911 about 7:20 p.m. complaining of severe back and ankle pain, Utah County sheriff's Lt. Darren Gilbert said. A medical helicopter located the man on the mountain and transported him in fair condition, Gilbert said. Most paragliders take off and land in the popular Flight Park, Gilbert said. Deputies did not know Saturday night what caused the man to go off course

June 15, 2007 - Friday - South Side, POM
A pilot crashed into the south side of the Point of the Mountain, and was taken off the hill on a backboard, and complained of numbness on one side of the body, and was taken by Lifeflight to an area hospital and was hospitalized. The injuries were not life threatening.

SL Tribune article - A paraglider in Utah County fell as much as 200 feet Friday but survived.
The 27-year-old Colorado man was flying at a paraglider park near the line of Utah and Salt Lake counties. About 8:45 a.m., the man was performing what were described by witnesses as advanced maneuvers when his glider began to plummet, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Lane Critser.
The craft and and the pilot fell between 150 to 200 feet before crashing on a slope, Critser said.  A rescue team retrieved the man. On Friday afternoon, he was at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center with what might be a broken leg, Critser said.

June 21, 2007 - 46-year-old M. Young was paragliding near Ferguson Canyon on Thursday when he fell 50 feet, leaving him unable to move. He was lifeflighted out.

Nov. 17, 2007, Monroe, UT - R. Ellis died on December 4, 2007, of complications arising from a paragliding accident in Utah. Ellis had suffered a broken leg in a paragliding accident after he crashed on the west side of Monroe Mountain in the south-central portion of the state on November 17th of last year. Sevier County (Utah) Search and Rescue responded and transported Ellis off the mountain, where he was later transported by ambulance to Sevier Valley Hospital. A blood clot formed from the injury, which ultimately took Ellis' life.

July 10, 2008 - Y Mtn. - Last Thursday afternoon a group of us hiked up the BYU Y. We started flying around 5:00pm and were enjoying perfect mellow conditions. Most guys were able to get up to about the top of Y Mtn and hung out for a while before heading out to the landing zone. J. West,  who finished lessons earlier this year has been hiking up and flying off the Y successfully without any problems. On Thursday he launched at about 6:30pm, after most everyone else had flown and landed. He had a perfect launch, and a nice flight out to the L.Z. with plenty of altitude. He was setting up his approach to the park and felt like he was a bit too high, so he made one last turn in order to get a little lower. As he turned away from the park, a little thermal boost accelerated the bank of his turn away from the landing zone. By the time he finished his turn he realized he was too low to land in the park and continued to turn away from the landing zone in hopes of landing on a city street. His plan would have worked, if it werent for a tree that his wing tip clipped. He dropped to the ground right on his butt and broke his L1 vertebre. He had surgery the next morning and is expected to make a full recovery. 

August 4, 2008 - Farmington, UT. I (broke) had a burst fracture on August 4th two years ago.  To make a long story short, I launched off of the top of Farmington peak (by radar towers) on a day when they were predicting 20% chance of strong wind or thundershowers.  Other than haze from ground level, conditions seemed perfect for the half an hour I waited at launch to observe things (about 8-9 mph up from valley).  When I launched, conditions stayed perfect for about another thirty five minutes.  However, when it decided to change, it all happened in five minutes.  First indicator was lightning bolt over by Lagoon.  I was at around 3500' AGL, and I would guess the lightning bold initiated at about 2,000' (below me) and struck by Lagoon.  Wind started picking up from the South, and I couldn't progress at all to LZ (or get down for that matter).  Mammatus clouds formed about 750' over head.   I tried to do a B-line stall to lose some altitude, but even if I held if for five minutes at time, it seemed like I only dropped a few hundred feet.  As soon as I would let off to rest my arms, I went right back up to where I was.  The only option I had was that the skies seemed clear up North (which is the direction the wind was blowing), so I decided I had to go with the wind and just see if I could outrun the wind, lightning, and Mammatus clouds.  I never did get a wing collapse, but I did get into very weird air.  At least once the wing surged way back, and seemed to stay there for several seconds while I basically was pointed towards the sky.  I was ready to dampen the ensuing giant surge forward, but that surge never came.  All I can figure was I was in some sort of huge rotor that was basically just pulling me up and back like a huge ferriswheel.  Very spooky feeling.

Anyway, after flying North about six-seven miles, I was able to bleed off enough altitude that I figured I could try and land.  There appeared to be a few small fields all over the place, but I was unsure about the ground wind speed, and I was sure there were power lines at every block, so I was afraid to try for an open field, and land flying backwards, and have the wing potentially go into a power lines.  Thankfully, I noticed a giant gravel pit, and in my mind, I interpreted it to be a new giant empty reservoir for drinking water (shallow sides like on lower LZ at North Side.  My landing approach was perfectly fine, until I got below the lip of the gravel pit.  What I didn't factor in was that the gravel pit (though huge) had a sheer wall about 30' high on the South side, ad the wind was blowing strong enough to cause rotor inside the pit.  I don't remember anything more than  being at about 40' high.  I presume I must have had a collapse, or at least just hit the ground at a high enough rate to knock me out.  I had a huge scrape on the top of my helmet.  Somehow I (and/or the angels) managed to get my harness completely unbuckled and to just lay down on the gravel.  My next memory was of waking from a peaceful summer nap.  I could hear my wing blowing around, and also could tell someone was yelling at me from a distance.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I had a fracture burst on my L-2 vertebrate.  There was apparently no paralysis. (Pilot L. Murray )

Sept 16, 2008 - POM- South Side.  We had a mid air collision on Tuesday at the south side that ended up with 2 pilots in the hospital with back injuries and will probably be dealing with back pain for the rest of their lives. 3 pilots were involved but the one who started the whole event by not clearing his turn was the only one who escaped unscathed because the other 2 flew into each other trying to avoid him.

June 3, 2009 - West Canyon area, Utah County.  On the afternoon of June 3, a sad and bad thing happened in the West Canyon area of Utah County, west of Lehi and northwest of Eagle Mountain.

Chris S., one of our best and most-loved pilots, a veritable giant of our sport and a renowned instructor, crashed while landing his motorized paraglider.

Twenty-four hours later, Chris flashed a thumbs-up-I’m-OK signal from his bed in an intensive care unit after a long night of surgery. At this time, injuries remain somewhat unspecified, but they likely involve a broken pelvis and associated lower back injuries.

Most of us heard about the accident by way of a Facebook message that Chris himself sent after a life-flight evacuation to medical facilities in Salt Lake City.

The message read: I got hurt today. I will need some surgery. So please keep a good thought.

Within hours, dozens and dozens of get-well wishes from across the country and around the world were posted on the Facebook page.

By mid-morning the next day, after a night of what must have been serious surgery, Chris was back at us with another Facebook posting: Not on pain meds at all since the surgery btw. Again thanks everybody. Don’t be surprised to see me on a chair. Hopefully not forever. I can wiggle my toes, etc.

From his hospital bed, Chris explained how the accident happened: a little low altitude, gone wild.â�

It's hard to imagine any regular at the Point of the Mountain that hasn't benefited from Chris's knowledge and generosity. For all of us, he's an exemplary role model of a pilot and a man, a knowledgeable, good-humored instructor always watching our backs. He brings everything you'd ever want to the game. Just knowing he's down on the ground, seeing all things, makes you want to be a better pilot.

July 4, 2009, POM - South Side - About 6:50 AM this moring, Steve F. and Brad G were in the air.  Steve is a new P2. I observed both and they appeared to be well within capabilities for the conditions.  Conditions were a nice 12 – 14 MPH and seemed pretty smooth.  I was preparing to launch my PG when conditions changed dramatically. I observed that Steve flew out to land below and Brad landed on top.  I was then focused on securing my PG in winds in the 20 – 25 MPG range.

Witnessed told me that Steve pulled big ears and was � turning.  Witnesses stated that he released the big ears and one side hung.  He applied massive break to the hung side and the glider whipped him around.  I heard someone yell PG going down.  I ran to the edge and observed his body and glider were on the plateau above the LZ.  He was not moving.  Two PG's jumped into their vehicles and smoked it down the road.  They arrived and rendered aid.  911 and helo followed.

Witnesses reported he had a destroyed MX helmet with a probable concussion, two compound fractures of a leg, broken ankle and probable back injuries.

July 14, 2009  - POM, North Side.  The glider had one side partially collapsed or stalled while the pilot was turning sharply (or the turn was caused by the stall?) about 180 degrees before impact on the butt/back from a height of 20-30 feet. Wind gradient may have been a factor, and/or punchy thermals. Symptoms were a hurt back (which I guess would be much worse had he not had an "airbag" harness), shoulder, and leg/ankle. The other pilot on the ground assisted the injured pilot, as I called 911. The injured was conscious
and coherent, but an ambulance was sent due to the back and leg.

Aug 17, 2009 - Provo, UT - Man injured in paraglider crash in Utah County August 17th, 2009 @ 10:59am PROVO, Utah (AP) -- A helicopter had to pluck a California man off a Utah County mountain after he crashed while paragliding. Provo police say they received a distress call Sunday from a paraglider who was stuck and injured on top of a mountain. The man had been competing in a national paragliding championship when a wing on his craft collapsed. Police say the 42-year-old man fell 60 feet and broke a leg, preventing him from coming down the mountain. A medical helicopter reached the man and hoisted him off the mountain. The man was then taken to a hospital for treatment.

September 13, 2009 (approx) POM, South Side. Pilot turned to close to the hill and collided with the side of the hill, breaking his arm fairly seriously, likely requiring surgery, screws and plates.

September 14, 2009 - POM, North Side.
A man suffered critical injuries when his paraglider crashed near Point of the Mountain on Wednesday night. He fell 60 to 70 feet into the side of the mountain about 7 p.m., said Unified Fire Authority Capt. Clint Smith. Crews hiked about 300 yards to reach him, brought him down on a stretcher and flew him to Intermountain Medical Center. The man, who is about 40, appeared to have injuries to both legs and possible spinal cord injuries, Smith said.

Pilot, likely an Ozone test pilot, was doing helicopters close to the ground, and had a collapse.  The reserve also came out.

3/25/2010 (approx). - Y Mtn. LZ - PG Pilot in early twenties, hit a tree on approaching the LZ, and got stuck in the tree. Firetruck and police came to extricate the pilot from the tree. No significant injuries were reported.

4/18/2010 - Y Mtn, Provo, UT - PG pilot Dave D. was coming to land and was approaching power lines, and stalled the wing in order to avoid collision with the power lines.  Broken or fractured femur, and severely broken wrist.

5/30/2010 - Inspo, Provo, UT - PG pilot brought up wing on launch and was blown back to the parking area. He struck a female bystander, who then struck her head on a car, and then on the pavement. 911 was called, and a fire truck and ambulance responded. The bystander, who appeared to have suffered a concussion, was given an IV, had good vital signs and was taken to a hospital as a precaution. The pilot, who was uninjured, rode the fire truck down to the local LZ.

6/14/2010 - Springville, UT - Man dies in Springville hang gliding accident June 14th, 2010 @ 6:35pm -- A man died in Utah County Monday when he crashed a powered hang glider into a utility line. Kent Warren's friends call him a daredevil. When he started paragliding 25 years ago he suffered a devastating fall, but it didn't stop him. "He fell about 200 feet and broke all his bones," said friend Ernie parkin. "There wasn't anything stopping him." This time, Warren's newly-bought motorized glider killed him. Springville police say the 59-year-old Warren was trying to take off from the field at Springville Junior High School. His son Sam caught the whole thing on video.

7/16/2010 - Ogden, UT - A North Ogden man was trapped up a high point of the North Ogden Divide for several hours Thursday night when he crashed into the mountain while paragliding.

Ralph Butler, 61, his son and a friend from Logan were all out paragliding northeast of the North Ogden Divide around 7:20 p.m. when Butler crashed into the mountain. His son and friend made it down and called 911.

It took emergency crews more than four hours to reach Butler and fly him down the mountain, Weber County Sheriff's office Lt. Matthew Bell. The man had only minor injuries and officials suspected he would be released once they were able to fly him down.

Oct. 2, 2010 - UTAH COUNTY - A Midvale hang glider pilot died Saturday morning at the Point of the Mountain after colliding with a paraglider and crashing into the hillside. "They both caught an updraft and bumped up into each other, which caused them to spiral down," said Sgt. Rhett Williams of the Utah County Sheriff's Office. "At this point investigators are looking at it as an accident." Williams said the two were just short of the ground when they collided around 10 a.m. at Flight Park. The hang glider, Gordon Jack Boyce, 65, died on impact and was "banged up everywhere," Williams said, while the paraglider, Virgil Welch Davis, 40, Salt Lake City, was able to land. Davis, a physician, sustained minor injuries and rushed to assist Boyce, performing CPR. Williams said that he was told by a friend of Boyce at the scene that Boyce had been hang gliding for 20 years.

9/16/2010 - PARADISE, UT - Richard Dennis Rallison, 64, passed away Sept. 16, 2010, while paragliding. Born Dec. 24, 1945, at Logan Regional Hospital, he was the youngest son of Robert Leo and Lucile Rallison. A longtime resident of Cache Valley, Richard graduated from Logan High School in 1964. Richard went on to earn a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Utah.   Died from massive heart failure after hiking up to a launch site.

1/3/2011 - Salt Lake City, UT -- A neighborhood on Salt Lake's east bench went dark Monday evening when a paraglider lost control and hit a power line on top of a hill. Remarkably, the man is expected to be OK.

About 20 homes near the mouth of Parley's Canyon lost power because of the accident.  "About 5:15 [p.m.], the power went out; and my daughter noticed that there was a paraglider up on the hill, and he had evidentially hit the power lines," said area resident Jemina Keller. Keller ran to the man's rescue."He was lying on the ground when I first saw him," she said. "I went running up the hill, I called out to him. He sounded like he was replying, and I called 911. It was the right thing to do."

Keller helped the man down the hill and cared for him until paramedics arrived."I had him come into my home," she said. "He had his parachute and his backpack and all of his gear, and he put it in the kitchen. And he was feeling pretty weak, so he laid down on my living room floor until UFA showed up."

Unified Fire Authority paramedics examined the man. They say he could have been seriously injured or killed."I heard them say he had some flesh burns and he refused transport to the hospital, but he was hurt pretty bad," Keller said.

Neighbors say paragliders frequently use nearby Grandeur Peak to take off. It's still unclear what went wrong Monday evening, the man's name was not released. Power was restored to the area about 8 p.m.

3/27/2011 (approx.) - POM - South Side, UT - Paraglider pilot was on advanced wing in windy conditions mid-afternoon, took large collapse, broke some lines, and crashed into the hill.  Helicopter flight to hospital.  Pilot had a punctured lung, multiple broken ribs, 8 - 10 days in the hospital.

6/30/2011 - POM - North Side, UT - DRAPER, Utah (ABC 4 News) - A man suffered back and ankle injuries after his paraglider slammed into the mountainside at the Point of the Mountain Thursday night. Witnesses say the victim went down too fast and landed hard at the State Flight Park. He was flown to the University of Utah Medical Center for treatment.

5/25/2011 - Richfield, UT - A 50-year-old Richfield man was injured Thursday, May 5, when his paraglider crashed south of Richfield.  The 911 call was made at approximately 8:05 p.m. when David Barton's paraglider went behind a hill, then collapsed. His wife, who was following him on the ground in a pickup truck called authorities when he crashed, according to the Sevier County Sheriff's Office. Barton was taken to Sevier Valley Medical Center, with complaints of pain in his legs, which may have had broken bones in them, according to the sheriff's office accident report.

4/5/2012 - POM - northside, SLC, UT - Pilot crash landed in back yard of house.  What probably happened to Joe was a sharp edged thermal or he was caught between 2 thermals. It wasn't that hot yesterday but the temperature differential was huge, which will give you strong turbulent thermals.. Whatever the case it s a reminder to us all to be vigilant and always be flying actively!

4/21/2012 - MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. (near St. George, UT) Mohave County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a paragliding accident in the area of Joe Blake Hill, approximately 5 miles south of Utah and 30 miles east of Nevada, Saturday, April 21. At about 11:08 a.m., deputies responded to the north side of the hill. While en route, dispatch advised that the victim did not survive the accident. Upon arrival, Care Flight medical staff said CPR was conducted, but 33-year-old Matt R. Lewis of Ivins was pronounced deceased. Search and Rescue, Kingman Ranger and Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter responded and recovered the victim. Investigations have determined the victim was airborne briefly until he crashed into the side of the mountain. The area is composed of lava rock and desert. The victim was approximately 150 feet below from the initial take off from the cliff. The SAR member and a deputy were flown near the victim where they were inserted into the side of the mountain. They hiked approximately 150 yards and prepared the victim to be hoisted. Kingman Ranger hoisted the victim out of the location.

4/21/2012 - Wasatch Front, UT - Pilot on a 2/3 wing experienced a large deflation, and ended up landing in a tree, hanging six inches from the ground.  No injuries reported.

 Feb 23, 2014 - FAIRFIELD, Utah  A man was killed in a paraglidng accident near Fairfield Sunday 

Lt. Yvette Rice of the Utah County Sheriff's Office said the victim is a 54-year-old male who crashed around 5:45 p.m. The accident occurred near Allen Ranch Road off of State Route 73 south of Fairfield. Officials said the man was part of a group of four paragliders in the area. Sgt. John O'Hara of the Utah County Sheriff's Office described the accident.

"The preliminary information is that there was an accident or a mishap at a fairly high altitude, the victim did crash into the ground out here," he said. "AirMed responded and arrived shortly after we did, and at the time of our arrival, it was determined that the victim was deceased."  Officials said the area is flat, and that the people were using a vehicle to tow and launch the paragliders into the air. Police are investigating the accident.

May 1, 2015 - SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah  - A 59-year-old California man has died after crashing while paragliding over Utah Lake.

A little after 6:00 p.m. Friday,deputies with the Utah County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a report of a man who crashed into Utah Lake while paragliding. Deputies say the man was about 150 feet in the air while being towed behind a boat near the south end of Saratoga Springs. Witnesses with the man said he was conducting "drills" designed to simulate responding to in-flight emergencies when something happened and the paraglider fell into the water.

The man was under water for several minutes before witnesses got him into a boat. The man was not breathing and witnesses initiated CPR. Saratoga Springs Fire and Rescue and Lehi Fire personnel responded and continued efforts to revive the man. Those efforts proved unsuccessful and the man was pronounced dead at the scene in Pelican Bay Marina. The victim was identified as Siegfried C. Muhlhauser, 59, from Murrieta, California. 

Sunday, Aug 9, 2015 - A paraglider crashed into the Old Mill Golf Course on Wasatch Boulevard.  Unified Police say the 31 year old man had taken off from the Mountain in Draper, came all the way north to the course, when something malfunctioned. He crashed onto the first fairway and golfers couldn’t believe it. The Injured man was taken by Helicopter to a local hospital in serious condition.

Tuesday,9/23/15 - Utah County dispatch confirmed that a medical helicopter had been dispatched to a flight park near Lehi around 11:45 am Tuesday.  A visiting hang glider pilot was flying slow,  crashed, turning toward hill, flared high.  Broken leg.

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Aug 16, 2016 (approx). Inspo - Paraglider launched Inspo in midday conditions, and took a colapse and spun in from about 30 feet. The broke his back, arm, and bruised a lung. The pilot (KM) had a full recovery, following physical therapy and extended healing.

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Aug 21, 2016 - Draper, UT  Authorities have identified a paramotorist who died after crashing into the roof of a church in Draper as Jim H. Petersen. The fatal accident occurred at about 8:55 a.m. Sunday during services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 272 E. Traverse Point. "We have heard reports that there might have been a collapse of the chute," said Sergeant Chad Carpenter with Draper Police. "We don't have that confirmed yet though."

"Witnesses say he was out of control and spiraling rapidly," said Steven Howlett, one of Petersen's friends who was flying alongside him Sunday morning. Howlett said the two of them took off from the South side of the Point of the Mountain around 7:30 a.m., but he says he landed before Petersen did. "He had more gas than I did," Howlett said. "So he kept going." Howlett later learned that his friend crashed through the roof of the LDS church.

While at least dozens of people were in the building, no other injuries beyond the fatality were reported. Petersen, 57, is from Bluffdale. Petersen was using a paramotor, which is a form of powered paraglider. The paramotor broke at least partially through the roof of the church.

Friends of Petersen tell FOX 13's Jeff McAdam through Facebook that Petersen was a loving man who would do anything for his family. Based off of YouTube videos and Facebook photos, it also appears he was a very experienced pilot.

Howlett believes that Petersen was already unconscious upon impact. "All those G-forces hitting him," he paused. "He probably blacked out from all the spinning."

April 15, 2017 - Davis County, UT - A man is in serious condition after a paragliding crash in Davis County Saturday. Sgt. DeAnne Servey of the Davis County Sheriff’s Office said search and rescue responded to the vicinity of the “V” on a mountain in Centerville after a paraglider crashed on that mountain around 3 p.m.

A man in his 50s was in a group with about 7 or 8 other people when the accident occurred. Servey said the victim reported falling from a height of about 1,000 feet, but there is no official estimate on the distance he fell. The victim was flown to a hospital via helicopter in serious condition, including hip and back injuries.

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Summer, 2019 - Spanish For, Utah - An experienced pilot who was familiar with the area suffered a low deflation in a lee side area while thermalling. He suffered a back injury, was airlifted out and was hospitalized for about a week.  Utah Search and Rescue helped with the extraction.  He is making a full recovery. This occurred in the hills above Spanish Fork at about 6,000'. 

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October, 2019 - An EN B pilot misjudged the landing approach at the V in a NE wind early in October and landed the glider in a tree in a private yard.

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March 10, 2020  - near Tooele in west desert - A paraglider pilot launch by himself, and  crash landed, suffering serious leg injuries. A paraglider was sent to the hospital after he crashed and became stranded in a remote part of Tooele County. He spent over 24 hours in the wilderness, getting himself back to safety. After breaking both legs, Jeremy Pottenger literally dragged himself on his palms and knuckles down a cliff and back to his truck. Away from cellphone range, he was stranded, and it would soon start getting cold. “(I) dug out a little bit of a bed… set up some rocks on the side… crawled into the glider, and prepared for the worst night of my life,” he said. Pottenger said his dog kept him safe. The glider kept him warm. The next morning, he started the excruciating journey down. The trip took from sunrise to sundown – all on his hands. “God was just telling me – he’s like, ‘I got you, boy. Even though you can’t carry yourself right now, I’m carrying you down that hill,’” Pottenger said.

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April 14, 2020  - The Y launch - paraglider injured at Y launch site - no further information available.

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May 30, 2020 - Malans Peak, Weber County A 25-year-old man was rescued late Friday night after he fell about 60 feet while paragliding from Malan’s Peak. Lt. Mark Horton, with Weber County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, said the accident happened at about 8:20 p.m. The man, who lives in Weber County, was able to get back to the top of the peak with the help of a friend, Horton said. The Department of Public Safety helicopter then responded and transported the man to the command post at the 29th Street Trailhead.

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2020 (exact date unknown) - POM North Side - Speed wing and paraglider pilot (also instructor) with 12 years of experience crashed on the north side flying a 17-meter Ozone Litespeed.  Broken fibula, fractured ankle, mild concussion and back and neck pain. Pilots were on scene immediately, and he was taken to ER by ambulance. Apparently pilot encountered rotor along the fingers of the main launch ridge.

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July 11, 2020  - POM South Side- Mid air collision between two paragliders.  One pilot went to the hospital but was released. The South Side has become very crowded on soarable days, and the pattern is not always adhered to.

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July , 2020  - POM North Side - Mid-air collision between two paraglider pilots.  Apparently both pilots flew away uninjured.  (This incident occurred about a week after the mid-air on the South Side.)

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Aug. 9, 2020 - Jupiter - Winds had been very light on launch, from S, SW and W and downhill, less than  5 mph.  PG Pilot with 10+ years of experience launched about 10 am into what appeared to be a very light cycle.  Within a couple of minutes of launch, he experienced a large collapse, where the wing balled up at about 150' AGL.  The wing partially opened, but did not recover completely, and he crashed into the hillside below launch.  His friends came to his aid, and called 911.  EMTs arrived and he ended up with fractures to his vertebrae, requiring surgery.

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Aug. 13, 2020 - POM-SS - Tandem flight accident.  Pilot fractured L1 and L2 and was taken by ambulance to hospital, and will wear a brace for a bit.  Passenger had chipped tooth. Paraglider crash Thursday morning in Utah County. The call came to dispatch at about 9:16 a.m., and crews responded to the scene, near 9600 W. Air Park Road. The area, Traverse Mountain Ridge, just south of Point of the Mountain, is a popular site for paragliders due to the strong wind currents. “A couple was doing a tandem flight and fell about 15 to 20 feet,” said Deputy John Thomas, Utah County Sheriff’s Office. Thomas said medical crews treated the patients at the scene for what appeared to be minor injuries. They were then transported to an area hospital as a precaution.

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Aug , 2020 - POM-NS - Visiting hang glider pilot was preparing to land at the bottom LZ, after presumably sinking out from the regular launch.  He was doing a 360 low to the ground, and only made it about half way before impacting the ground.  Pilot was initially unaware exactly what happened.  Emergency vehicles were called, and he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.  Likely outcome was a fractured femur.

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Aug 22, 2020 (Nevada) - James 'Kiwi' Oroc Johnston disappeared while flying a paraglider xc over Nine Mile Peak in Nevada.  Last tracking point showed about 14,000 ft altitude (6,000 AGL) at 2:14 pm.  Search crews searched, and as of Aug 31, 2020, pilot has not been found.  Pilot was very experienced with 20 years of paraglider flying experience, and was on a blue Zeno paraglider with red reserve.

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Aug 29, 2020 POM-NS - PG pilot had an uncontrolled landing by the Chevron station.  Had back pain, and went with paramedics to get checked out at hospital. Conditions at the North side were very strong and turbulent.

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Aug 2020 Cove/Monroe LZ at rodeo grounds - Pilot misjudged landing, and landed on the power lines just east of the LZ.  Power company got her down, and no injuries.

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Aug 29, 2020 Central Utah site - PG student pilot on 7th lesson turned into and collided with the hill.  Broken tib/fib, laceration and other discomfort.  Taken by helicopter to Utah Valley Hospital for evaluation. 

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October 2020 Central Utah site - Individual (not a trained pilot) launched a paraglider, with assistance from friend.  A stick was caught in the lines, resulting in a crash.  Pilot was taken by helicopter to Salt Lake for medical care. Likely broken hip and pelvis.

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October 2020 Cove in Central Utah - PG pilot threw reserve and landed on top of Cove mountain, next to the cliffs.  No apparent injury. (so perhaps this should not be listed, but clearly it was an incident of note)

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September 2020 - Cove in Central Utah - PG pilot broke 4 ribs in accident, no further information.  Other pilot broke a couple of fingers in a separate accident.  These incidents were during the fall fly-in (Red Rocks).

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Oct 13, 2020 - Northside - Speedflyer impacted the ground at the NS main launch/lz, while doing a 270 to line up for landing.  Did not complete 270 before impact. Possible back or pelvis injury.  Pilot was on a 9-meter speedwing.  Occurred about 8 am.  Mostly light north wind.  Taken by helicopter to hospital.

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