Paraglider Survives Midair Collision with Plane in Austrian Alps

A 44-year-old woman experienced a terrifying paragliding accident over the Austrian Alps. A small plane collided with her glider, sending her into an uncontrollable spin.

This incident occurred in the Piesendorf area of Salzburg. According to Salzburg State Police, the pilot of the plane was conducting a scenic flight when the collision happened. The 28-year-old pilot reported being unable to avoid hitting the glider.

The collision caused severe damage to the paraglider from the plane’s propeller. Fortunately, the experienced paraglider managed to deploy her reserve parachute.

She executed an emergency landing, and a police helicopter airlifted her from the scene. Both the woman and the pilot avoided serious injuries, as per police reports.

While authorities did not release her identity, a woman named Sabrina shared a video of the incident on Instagram. She did not respond to media inquiries.

The video captures her paragliding near a picturesque Alpine ridgeline.
The faint sound of an incoming engine grows louder before the plane appears.
The aircraft slices through her glider’s canopy, mere feet above her.

The footage then shows her descending rapidly, but she remains composed. She reaches for and successfully deploys her emergency parachute. Her descent slows, though the battered remains of her glider hang in two parts.

As she descends, a muffled voice is heard over the wind. She frees herself from the harness, narrowly avoiding nearby shrubs before landing on a grassy area.

The video concludes with her catching her breath, having safely navigated the perilous situation.

In a translated caption, she expressed disbelief at her survival, mentioning that she sustained only minor bruises.