US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Pilot Crashes at Point of the Mountain Fly Park May 14, 2012 Pilot flying a double surface locks out nosed in to the foot of the mountain

No telling what caused the hang glider to stall and fall...

1 Oscillation
2 Stalled
3 May have not check symmetry on batons of his hang glider during pre-flight check if he did one at all

What else would cause the glider to drop out of the air like that?


http://fox13now.com/2012/05/14/man-inju ... -accident/

Re: Jim Kearns
aka James Kearns

Rocky Mountain Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association
http://www.rmhpa.org/messageboard/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4289&hilit=Kearns

May James Kearns of Colorado recover well soon!


Just after takeoff, so someone reported: erratic _______
So far, report says James does not remember the accident.
Let's hope he gains memory of the time soon after takeoff.

It sounds like he may have not been hooked in

Of course hanging on to the bars that would cause the hang glider to nose in... Failure to hook in to his glider would cause the glider to nose in to the ground that happen to two of my friends this is becoming a serious issue people not hooking in to their hang glider

Tad was right assume that you are never hook in to your HG

We have had too many people falling out of the sky already

Most of the hang glidng clubs have passed among themselves the (DADT) Don't Tell, Don't Ask, rule and keep all the incident reports privet

Division: HANG GLIDING
Pilot Rating: NOVICE (H-2) By: MALCOLM JONES Date: 7/18/1998
Other Ratings and Special Skills: AT FL ST PA VA FSL

That was a Sport 2 wasn't it?

“It appears that he’s experienced, because he was flying an intermediate glider,so he’s flying something a new person shouldn’t be flying,” said Kevin Koonce, a hang gliding instructor.

(May 2012 minus July 1998 = 13 yrs and 10 months as H2 rated pilot.)

Assuming it was a:
Wills Wing Sport 2

The Sport 2 is our latest, and arguably our best, in a long line of easy, fun to fly gliders that offer extraordinary levels of performance. Unlike other high performance kingposted gliders intended for pilots with advanced skills, the Sport 2 is suitable for even a true intermediate level pilot. At the same time, the Sport 2 provides performance that will satisfy an experienced veteran.
Does that look like a Sport 2 to you pilots?
Sport 2 or not it looks double surface to me.