42 Accidents in the Last 4 Years
Significant Increase to 14 Cases Last Year
"Actual Number of Accidents Likely Higher"
At around 4 p.m. on the 15th, a pilot died and a participant was seriously injured in an accident while experiencing paragliding in Gagok-myeon, Danyang-gun, Chungbuk. According to a representative of the company, the aircraft gliding at an altitude of 20 meters experienced a strong wind that caused one wing to fold, resulting in a vertical crash.
An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board stated, "There were strong winds in Danyang that day, and many companies reportedly ended operations around 1 p.m.," adding, "This company accepted participants late in the day, which seems to have led to the accident."
Although fatal accidents related to paragliding experiences have been increasing every year, safety measures remain insufficient. Since the number of users rises in the spring when the weather warms up, there are calls for essential related countermeasures.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board on the 20th, there have been a total of 42 paragliding accidents from 2020 to March 18 of this year, with 20 fatalities recorded during the same period. The number of seriously injured persons was also 33, indicating a high rate of death and serious injury due to accidents.
Paragliding accidents have shown an increasing trend over the past four years. The number of accidents was 9 in 2020, slightly decreased to 8 in 2021, but then rose sharply to 11 in 2022 and 14 last year. An official from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board said, "Many paragliding accidents are not reported because companies often settle among themselves," adding, "If cases that are reported late due to legal issues are included, the actual number of paragliding accidents is likely much higher than the recorded figures."
According to Article 50 of the Aviation Business Act, those who wish to operate an aviation leisure sports business must meet certain qualification requirements set by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Currently, the Seoul Regional Aviation Office under the Ministry inspects whether operators meet conditions such as possession of paragliding licenses, flight hours, and the distance and condition of takeoff and landing sites before granting business permits.
However, there is little safety inspection during the operation process, leading to concerns about a safety "blind spot." Paragliding operations during adverse weather conditions such as strong winds, heavy rain, or yellow dust are left to the autonomous judgment of the company and pilots. This is because paragliding is classified as an ultralight flying device and, unlike airplanes, is considered capable of flying regardless of weather and climate conditions.
Safety education before flights for participants is also evaluated as inadequate. According to the Enforcement Rules of the Aviation Act, paragliding companies are required to sufficiently explain safety precautions to participants and pilots before flights. However, for convenience, many companies only provide instructions immediately before takeoff and landing, resulting in many participants joining flights without fully understanding the instructions.
An official from the Seoul Regional Aviation Office said, "Due to the recent increase in paragliding accidents, we plan to strengthen unscheduled special inspections that check safety equipment, education, and weather and climate conditions in addition to the annual regular inspections," emphasizing, "Both paragliding companies and participants must comply with safety rules when flying."
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