Paraglider survives mid-air collision with Cessna after emergency chute saves her life in the Austrian Alps
A 44-year-old Austrian paraglider narrowly escaped death on Saturday when a Cessna 172 tore through her canopy mid-flight near Zell am See, sending her spiraling before she deployed her reserve parachute.
What happened
A routine paragliding flight over the Austrian Alps turned into a life-threatening emergency on Saturday, 23 May 2026, when a light aircraft collided with a paraglider in mid-air. The incident occurred around 13:15 near the Pinzgauer Hütte, close to the town of Piesendorf in the Pinzgau region. The paraglider, a 44-year-old Austrian woman named Sabrina, had launched from the Schmittenhöhe mountain and was heading toward the valley when a Cessna 172 struck her canopy from behind. The aircraft's propeller shredded the paraglider wing, causing Sabrina to enter an uncontrolled spin and freefall.
- Sabrina launches paraglider from Schmittenhöhe mountain, heading toward Piesendorf.
- Cessna 172 approaches from behind near Pinzgauer Hütte and strikes the paraglider canopy with its propeller.
- Paraglider wing is shredded; Sabrina enters uncontrolled spin and freefall.
- Within ~6 seconds, Sabrina deploys reserve parachute and stabilizes descent.
- Sabrina lands safely on a forest road with bruises and contusions.
- Cessna pilot lands safely at Zell am See airport.
The rescue
Despite the violent impact and rapid descent, Sabrina reacted with remarkable composure. Within approximately six seconds, she managed to deploy her emergency reserve parachute, which stabilized her fall and allowed her to land safely on a forest road. She sustained only bruises and contusions. The 28-year-old Austrian pilot of the Cessna, who had taken off from the Glemm Valley, was able to maintain control of his aircraft and land without further incident at Zell am See airport.
I still can't quite believe I'm sitting here typing this, and apart from a few nasty bruises and some general contusions, nothing really happened.
Investigation and airspace rules
Austrian authorities have opened an investigation to determine the exact causes of the collision and to establish responsibility. The Cessna pilot told police he had spotted the paraglider too late to avoid the collision. According to the paraglider, in the shared airspace where the accident occurred, motorized aircraft like the Cessna are obligated to give way to non-motorized craft such as paragliders. She stated that the matter would proceed through official legal channels. Romanian media reported that the pilot is under criminal investigation for negligent bodily injury.
Social media reaction
Sabrina, who has around 17,000 Instagram followers, shared dramatic onboard camera footage of the collision and her subsequent fall. The video quickly spread across social media and international news outlets. In her posts, she described 23 May as her "second birthday" and expressed disbelief at her survival. She also faced criticism from some users who blamed her for the accident, to which she responded bluntly, telling detractors to "go to hell" and explaining she was flying in a permitted area.
It's a flying zone where paragliders, gliders and light aircraft share the space. There are rules, and yet accidents still happen.
Safety equipment debate
The incident has reignited discussion about collision avoidance systems in alpine airspace. Sabrina acknowledged she was flying without FLARM, an electronic collision-prevention system commonly used in such zones. When asked whether the accident would have occurred with FLARM, she replied that she did not know, noting the system does not work with 100% reliability, but confirmed her next variometer would be one equipped with FLARM.
