sffl-54

Patrick Bucher

SFFL: 54
Name: Patrick Bucher
Date: 1.11.2016
Nationality: Swiss
Location: Engelberg, Fürenalp
Conditions: perfect conditions
Ground Launching or Skiing: Ground launching.
Wing Type: Mirage Comp
Weight: 70kgs
Age: 27
Experience: 3+ years. 2 years flying 8.5/comp wings.
Time on wing last used: 1+ year, 200+flights on that wing
License (P2, P3, H2, M1, M2, etc): Swiss paragliding and Swiss speed flying license
Beacon/Locator/Etc (Spot, in-Reach, Recco, GPS): -

Experience: Patrick was speed flying for about 4 years basically "full-time". He started flying with a mirage 11.5m soon after his speed flying license.
Over the years he downsized to a 9.5m and later 8.5m mirage and spitfire 2. At some point in the beginning of 2015, he got a Mirage Comp to replace the 8.5m. Patrick was always very current and did several hundred flights each year. Patrick had no prior close calls or fuckups/injuries or crashes before his fatal accident.
He knew the mountain where he crashed. Launch, landing and wall/ledges/proxy lines very well.

1.11.2016 was a perfect day, super calm conditions, sunny, light headwind on the launch. Perfect visibility. Patrick was flying alone.
He launched for his last flight a little after midday. He was spotted lying on a ledge in the middle of the wall from the gondola by a base jumper who was doing jumps there the same day.
The video from himself shows that everything was going well until he clipped a little bush growing out of the wall during a right turn carving along the wall. The wing partially collapsed and Patrick was thrown into the wall instantly. He hit the wall hard and continued to tumble down a very steep solid-rock ledge until he came to rest. He sustained sever head and organ trauma and countless bone fractures and had no survival chance after the crash.

Gone but not forgotten: https://youtu.be/4GUfVAudfog

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