Paraglider falls 150ft to death after being clipped by hang glider in mid-air | News World

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That is the terrifying moment a person plummeted to his death after his paraglider collided with a hang glider in mid-air.

Philip Eric Haegler, 59, spiralled right into a deadly fall when the hang glider clipped the wing of his paraglider in Sao Conrado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 20.

A flight instructor has been indicted for culpable homicide over the death of the pilot and businessman, who was two days away from his sixtieth birthday when the collision occured.

Reports said the case has been sent to prosecutors who will resolve whether to bring charges to court.

Philip Eric Haegler plunged nearly 150ft to his death (Picture: CEN)

Police reportedly concluded that the trainer, Sergio Manoel da Silva, acted with ‘negligence’, ‘inattention’ and did not follow sporting flight safety rules.

Manoel Da Silva told officers he was flying with a student when he became distracted as he approached the landing area.

He said he looked all the way down to release the coed’s leg strap in a typical manoeuvre and overlooked Philip’s paraglider for about three seconds.

Manoel da Silva said that when he looked forward again he was startled to see Philip approaching from the wrong way and barely below.

He said he attempted a sudden movement but couldn’t avoid the collision.

The footage shows Mr Haegler’s paraglider approaching quickly from the wrong way, just beneath the trainer’s hang glider.

Hang glider collides with the paraglider of pilot Philip Haegler, in Sao Conrado, in the South Zone of Rio, Brazil, November 20, 2025.
The collision occured two days before Mr Haegler’s sixtieth birthday (Picture: CEN)

It also shows parts of the equipment and the pilot’s body striking the paraglider before the cover tangles and Mr Haegler, a two-time Brazilian free-flight champion, loses control.

The victim then hit the facade of a constructing on Avenida Prefeito Mendes de Morais across the eleventh floor before plunging about 45 metres (148ft).

Manoel da Silva reportedly told police the lower pilot has priority under sporting aviation rules and that Mr Haegler had the precise of way.

He insisted Mr Haegler made no mistake and said the crash was attributable to a split-second lapse.

Manoel da Silva told officers he admired Philip and described him as an idol he had learned from.

He also said he was in search of psychological support while remaining available to investigators.

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