US

Caught on Video: Tangled Parachute Pilot Plummets to the Ground

Luckily for Hoyt Patton, some hikers were nearby to witness him free-fall 100 feet after his powered parachute malfunctioned.

From Idaho’s KXLY:

Last Tuesday, Patton put on the paragliding device and his helmet with a attached camera, and began flying through the air without trouble, but after a few minutes, a gust of wind knocked out his motor and Patton crashed hard on the ground.

Two people saw Hoyt fall from the sky and called 911. Patton was on the ground for several minutes, fighting to get up, but a broken pelvis, disconnected femur, shatter arm and broken ribs kept him on the ground.

Comments (36)

  • w4jle
    Posted on October 28, 2010 at 11:08pm

    If God wanted man to fly you would have been born with a pilots license.

    Report Post » w4jle  
  • squeaker
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 11:23pm

    And this reply has what to do with a parachuting accident…?

     
    • squeaker
      Posted on October 28, 2010 at 3:05am

      “And this reply has what to do with a parachuting accident…?” –

      Please ignore this reply. I was replying to the long post from “JOHNDOE” that was removed.

      Report Post »  
  • Parkeralan
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 5:21pm

    Looks Very Dangerous!

    Let’s pass the hat and buy one of these things for DANGLINBAGS!!!!

    Report Post » Parkeralan  
  • nick e l
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:23pm

    Paragliding is a parachute modified to create lift rather than descend back to earth. Typically running off a cliff with a perpendicular wind will get you airborne. In order to climb beyond the deflecting wind hitting the cliff ridge you will need thermal activity (warm air rising). Putting a motor on you back is adding forward thrust which creates lift more lift and permits flight from flat ground to get to altitudes for more thermal flying. These motorized craft have a high angle of attack due to the thrust of the engine which can lead to stalls if given certain conditions. If he were to encounter a sufficient thermal on one side or another and possibly head on. The wing is not rigid and will collapse. I have encountered such a collapse at 50 ft w/o a motor upon leaving a ridge. Half the wing collapsed and I began to spiral down. This action must be corrected immediately through muscle memory and practice by weight shift and regaining control of the wing. These wings properly loaded and controlled will fly on 1/2 a wing. Without being there but seeing the video.. it appears he encountered a thermal on the left wing tip. He then seems to rotate in that direction until meeting the ground. The gust of wind did not kill the engine and the accident was not induced by a dead motor.
    I am a former Paragliding Instructor in San Diego and now a CFI. Make no mistake, this can be an extremely dangerous sport without proper training and prudent pilot judgment.

    Report Post »  
  • mikenleeds
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:08pm

    white folks are just crazy

    Report Post » mikenleeds  
  • Hoosier Daddy
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:49pm

    I’m a skydiver but have never tried powered paragliding. It looks pretty cool…except for the crash. We have a saying among skydivers: The sky is not the limit, the ground is.

    Report Post » Hoosier Daddy  
    • starman70
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:37pm

      Never understood why any one would jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

      Report Post »  
    • Hoosier Daddy
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 3:01pm

      Starman70:
      If it was a “perfectly good airplane” it wouldn’t be at a drop zone.

      Report Post » Hoosier Daddy  
    • squeaker
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 3:45pm

      “starman70” — I have two replies for you:

      1) I survived the take off, why risk the landing.

      2) You haven’t seen the airplane we jump from…:)

      Skydiving is an activity that can give you the most fear and excitement all in the same instant. There is nothing like it that I have experienced. But the minute you loose a dose of fear doing it, STOP… or it will turnaround and bite you.

      Report Post »  
    • squeaker
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 3:49pm

      “Hoosier Daddy” – ~~ The sky is not the limit, The ground is ~~

      I used to have a T-Shirt with that saying on it… Very true statement

      Report Post »  
  • rfycom
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:43pm

    If i wanted to read political topics and general news I would read the Huffington Post. The site is much more professional. I don’t like some of the ladies believes but she sends a thrill up my leg when she talks.

    Report Post »  
  • valarie
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:24pm

    Glad I’m not that thrill-seeking. Owie!

    Report Post » valarie  
  • THX-1138
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:24pm

    As long as Obama doesn’t bill me for this…..

    Report Post » THX-1138  
    • starman70
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:36pm

      If he hasn’t any insurance, you bet Obama will make all of us pay. Anyone on GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE in Europe has such paid in full.

      Report Post »  
  • UPSETVET
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:14pm

    Having made several free fall jumps while in USMC 1st Force Recon I can appreciate the fall of Hoyt Patton when the motor of his powered chute malfunctioned. The ground comes up pretty quick and a person doesn’t have much time to think let alone react. Really there was nothing Hoyt could do but pray and hope for the best. His or someones prayer must have been answered because he lived to tell the story or listen to others tell it with a few bones broken. Hey Hoyt, you’re a tough old dude. Get back up on the horse ASAP. Ha

    Report Post »  
    • untameable-kate
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:32pm

      What is paragliding? if there is a parachute why did he just fall to the ground? I’m asking you, Upset because you seem to know something about it.

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
    • squeaker
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:36pm

      “untameable-kate” – ParaGliding is basically a motorized parachute. The pilot sits in a sling with a motor and propeller on their back. Most setups that I have seen use a parachute used for “Tandem Parachuting” (2 people – Tandem pilot and passenger) because the tandem parachute size and ability to handle the extra weight of the motor used to power this setup.

      I noticed this man using what looks like an eliptical shaped parachute that is smaller than what normally have seen used. These were mostly used in the past for paragliding. ie: A parachute built for assent rather than decent. Kinda like hang gliding only using a parachute designed for this use.

      I watched the video several times, my observation was he lost power at low altitude and then began a slow spiral to the ground. Between the wind, weight and smaller parachute he did a good job staying alive. Any landing you walk away from alive is considered good by many. — This man sure has a positive attitude and I wish him well and he has a full recovery.

      …Blue Skies…

      Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 3:26pm

      @Upsetvet and Squeaker

      Thanks for the info, was about to ask the same thing as Untamable Kate; fills in a bit more info on the subject.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • untameable-kate
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 4:15pm

      Thank you Squeeker, I didn‘t understand why the chute didn’t save him. You explained it well.

      Report Post » Untameable-kate  
  • Lydia
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:14pm

    Wow. Dude could’ve used an airbag, eh?

    Report Post » Lydia  
  • Goohuman
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 1:13pm

    Dangerous and exciting! I gotta try this!

    Report Post » Goohuman  
  • seanpatriot
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 12:56pm

    You gotta pay to play

    Report Post » seanpatriot  
  • Breaker 19
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 12:56pm

    Vicarious lesson: Never fly on anything that is not big enough to have its on bathroom.

    Report Post » DIOS BENDIGA AMERICA ... JESUCRISTO ES EL SEÑOR!  
  • f800gs
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 12:50pm

    Looks like he stalled it out , trying to climb too steeply….he‘s lucky he wasn’t higher up.

    Report Post »  
    • corp-mule
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 4:28pm

      If he were higher, he might have been able to recover and fly out of it. He’s UN-lucky he wasn’t higher up.

      Report Post »  
    • RantNationDotCom
      Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:42am

      Well, there’s also that unhappy, fatal medium between close enough to the ground to survive and high enough to fix the problem. :o) Looks like he was almost there.

      Report Post » RantNationDotCom  
  • sweetbees
    Posted on October 27, 2010 at 12:47pm

    Oooouuuuuch!!!

    Report Post »  
    • oldoldtimer
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:06pm

      Fool! There is a $300 emergency parachute you can get to deploy in situations like this. It is rocket propelled and shoots right through obstructions. Many ultralites are now equiped with them. I would never fly without it. Ultralites have a habit of folding up.

      Report Post »  
    • White Devil
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:22pm

      It’s Spokane Washington KXLY, not Idaho KXLY reporting. He crashed in Idaho.

      Report Post » White Devil  
    • nick e l
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:30pm

      You are misinformed, you need at least 200 to 300ft for deployment and they are not rocket propelled on paragliders. They are hand-thrown. He would have been better served to immediately weight shifted to the flying side of his wing, fly the wing and attempt to pump out the collapse and prepare to land, not crash.

      Report Post »  
    • corp-mule
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 4:19pm

      @oldoldtimer
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 2:06pm

      “Fool! There is a $300 emergency
      parachute you can get to deploy in
      situations like this. It is rocket
      propelled and shoots right through
      obstructions. Many ultralites are now
      equiped with them. I would never fly
      without it. Ultralites have a habit
      of folding up.”

      As an avid Hang Glider pilot, I feel
      compelled to slightly correct your
      statement.

      1. Even with a rocket propelled reserve,
      it would not have deployed in time
      from a failure at only 100 feet.

      Just the low altitude of 100 feet
      alone is probably not enough time for
      the chute to deploy. But when you
      include the time it takes to realize
      and react to the failure, a lot of
      altitude is lost and it’s too late.

      2. I don’t usually consider Motorized
      Para Gliders as Ultralights.

      But using your definition of an
      Ultralight, your comment, “Ultralites
      have a habit of folding up” is
      incorrect. Several different sport
      aircraft can be encompassed under the
      “Ultralight” umbrella; Hang Gliders,
      Trikes, Para Gliders and the one this
      guy was flying …a Motorized Para
      Glider.

      Para Gliders are the aircraft that
      look similar to a parachute, with or
      without a motor. Due to the lack of
      a frame, they are more prone to
      “collapse” than the other types of
      Ultralights.

      Hang Gliders have an aluminum frame
      and only collapse when pushed beyond
      their operating parameters, as in
      Aerobatics. This is not a common
      event.

      There! I said it! :)

      Report Post »  
    • brooks
      Posted on October 27, 2010 at 7:40pm

      ditto except with more O’s :( owiee

      Report Post »  
    • RantNationDotCom
      Posted on October 28, 2010 at 1:38am

      @oldoldtimer:
      I don’t think he was high enough for another chute to deploy before he hit, but I’m more familiar with skydiving.

      Report Post » RantNationDotCom  

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love