And accident extraordinary and dramatic, at 4,000 meters above sea level. On July 27, 2018, Nicolas Galy, a wingsuit enthusiast, this discipline which consists of jumping in a winged suit before opening his parachute, died, decapitated in mid-flight, barely ten seconds after launching from the hold. The 40-year-old aeronautical engineer was hit by a wing of the plane from which he had just jumped.
Five years later, the pilot who was at the controls, employed at the time by a skydiving club in Tarn-et-Garonnewas tried on Tuesday for manslaughter before the Montauban criminal court.
According to the investigation carried out by the Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Office (BEA), the defendant should not have flown that day, his state of health prohibiting him from piloting alone, temporarily. The 64-year-old pilot argued in court that he believed his license was valid. As chief pilot, he himself was responsible for checking the licenses of his colleagues.
“A lot of recklessness or negligence”
Since the tragedy, security measures have been strengthened and are more draconian, and briefings have become obligatory at the Bouloc-en-Quercy parachuting school, as highlighted by its president, Isabelle Deschamps. But, at the time of the tragedy, there was “a lot of recklessness or negligence”, lamented Emmanuelle Franck, the lawyer for the victim’s relatives.
The president of the court pointed out a lack of communication between the victim and the pilot. For the prosecution, “the victim is the only one who respected the regulations without negligence”.
“This tragedy affects everyone and we share the pain of the victims. The practice is extremely dangerous. Flying, we touch the limit of the human being,” said in defense of the pilot Elsa Correa Barbaris.
A suspended prison sentence of twelve months was requested on Tuesday against the pilot. The prosecutor also requested a 20,000 euro fine, including 10,000 suspended, against the association, accused of not having checked the license of its employee.
The decision was reserved until November 21.
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