Italy Baumgartner crash attributed to human error
Almost three months after the fatal crash of Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner on the Italian Adriatic coast, the cause of the accident has been clarified. According to the public prosecutor's office in the town of Fermo, the crash with a motorized paraglider was due to human error. This was announced by public prosecutor Raffaelle Iannella in response to an inquiry from dpa.
07.10.2025, 10:34
SDA
"The paraglider was in perfect condition and had no defects whatsoever," said Iannella. This was the result of a technical report.
During the flight, there was a rapid loss of altitude when a spiral dive began. The Salzburg-born pilot was no longer able to steer the glider out of the spiral. The rescue parachute was only deployed shortly before the impact on the ground.
Discontinuation of the proceedings requested
According to Iannella, the technical report also shows that Baumgartner did not use the "intended technique for restoring a stable flying position" during the duration of the spiral dive. A "consistent and strong pull" on the right steering line would have helped. This ultimately led to the loss of control of the aircraft.
According to Iannella, an application will be made in the coming days to discontinue the proceedings. The technical report had already been sent to the legal representatives of Baumgartner's family.
Baumgartner died on July 17 near the seaside resort of Porto Sant'Elpidio. He was on vacation there with his partner. He crashed into a wooden hut in a vacation resort. All attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. It was initially suspected that Baumgartner had lost control of the paraglider due to an attack of weakness.
World-famous for his jump from a height of 39 kilometers
In 2012, Baumgartner, who was 56 years old when he died, made headlines around the world with a jump from 39 kilometers above the earth in the stratosphere. Many millions of people watched live on television and on the internet as he plunged into the depths. The Austrian reached a top speed of more than 1,300 kilometers per hour.
