A Cessna hits Sabrina T.'s paraglider near Zell am See on Saturday. Video footage shows the dramatic moment. Now she has spoken out about the incident and is defending herself against criticism.
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- A paraglider pilot from Upper Austria collided with a Cessna in the air on Saturday.
- She shared the footage on Instagram.
- On Sunday, she spoke out again about the incident - and defends herself against the criticism.
On Saturday, paraglider Sabrina T. was rammed by a Cessna. Video footage shows how the small plane shoots just over her head, tearing her paraglider in the process. The 44-year-old Austrian reacted with presence of mind, immediately deployed the reserve parachute and was able to land safely. She remains uninjured. She posted the footage herself on Instagram.
On Sunday evening, Sabrina T. came forward again about the incident. She had expected the video to attract more attention than her previous posts, but not to the same extent.
She thanked the manufacturer of her rescue parachute and the numerous messages of support she had received over the past few hours. She also expressed her gratitude to the paragliding community in Zell am See.
However, she also takes account of the less pleasant comments and writes: "I wasn't anywhere I wasn't allowed to be," she clarifies. She emphasizes that she was in the thermal area in accordance with the rules.
She circled in the thermal and made it clear: "no, as a paraglider you can't avoid a small plane". The general rule in such situations is: Motorized aircraft are obliged to take evasive action, and circling aircraft also have priority.
"Will go through the proper legal channels"
She also writes that she knows who the pilot is and that he also landed safely. "It will take its proper legal course officially, without drama."
And further: "To the blasphemers and those who join in, even though they have no idea and badmouth either the pilot or me: I hope you are never guilty or innocent of an accident and then have to read your comments about it."
The area around Zell am See is considered to be heavily frequented airspace, with paragliders, gliders and motorized aircraft flying in parallel. It is precisely this density that increases the complexity and susceptibility to errors. "Nevertheless, accidents cannot be ruled out," writes the paraglider. Her conclusion: more attention is needed from everyone involved.