Wingsuit flying is an extreme sport in which participants wear winged suits and soar through the sky after jumping out of an airplane. During a flight in July 2018, 40-year-old Nicholas Galy had his head cut off by a wing after jumping out of a Pilatus plane in the town of Bouloc-en-Quercy, southern France.
A group of wingsuit flying players
The pilot, Alain C. (64 years old), was charged with manslaughter and will appear in court this week, according to the Times of London .
According to testimony provided, Mr. Galy was one of two players who jumped from the plane, which was at an altitude of 14,000 feet (4,267 m).
The pilot then quickly descended to catch up with the two players. However, when the plane caught up about 20 seconds later, the left wing of the plane hit Mr. Galy, cutting off his head. His body fell into a field after the emergency parachute opened.
Prosecutors said pilot error led to the crash. However, in court, Mr Alain said there was no wrongdoing and that Mr Galy had failed to follow established procedures. Mr Alain later said he thought Mr Galy was flying further south, but in fact the victim was flying alongside the plane.
Wingsuit flying players jump out of planes
The pilot admitted that he did not inform the two players about the jump and lost sight of them, thinking he had flown away from them. Mr Alain said the two players did not descend much and were probably in a position to intersect the plane.
Evidence also showed that Mr Alain was using an invalid driving licence because he had breached health regulations.
Prosecutor Jeanne Regagngon said Mr Galy was the only one who followed the rules on that flight. The prosecutor asked for a 12-month suspended sentence for the pilot and a fine of at least $10,000 for the company.
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