The pilot of a powered paraglider has met a tragic end after his parachute cords were severed by a kite, with a friend claiming that a glass-encased kite was responsible for the fatal plunge
A bloke using a powered paraglider plunged to his death after a tragic and freak encounter with a kite that severed his parachute lines.
Marcelo Nunes Rodrigues, 52, is said to have been burned to death when his aircraft hit the ground in a horrific incident in Aparecida de Goiania, Brazil.
The pilot was pronounced dead at the scene, with the fire department called to the crash.
Rodrigues’ final moments were recorded in grim footage that showed the flight’s disastrous encounter with a kite, which severed the lines of his parachute.
A slow descent turned fatal for Rodrigues after the parachute lines on his aircraft were suddenly jerked, with the paraglider finding himself plummeting to the ground.
Rodrigues’ friend, professional parachute pilot and instructor Itiel Lima, was at the scene of the accident when tragedy struck.
Lima believes the parachute lines were cut by a parachute, with kite flying a popular past-time for children in Brazil.
The kites are often coated with “cerol”, a mixture of glue and ground glass, with the illegal past time a favourite of some children, who aim to cut down the other kite flying next to them.
Lima said: “Unfortunately, a kite with a cerol line cut all the lines of the paraplane.
“After that, he fell vertically, the fuel tank burst and, as the engine was hot, he had his body partially charred.”
Powered paragliders tend to travel at about 25 to 35mph, operating at heights of around 500 to 1500 feet.
