In the South of France, an unfortunate accident occurred between wingsuit skydiver Nicolas Galy, 40, and a plane. Only 20 seconds after Galy made his jump from a single-engine Pilatus plane at a height of 14,000 feet above Bouloc-en-Quercy, he collided with the aircraft’s wing.
As the divers were soaring in their wingsuits, Galy being the first of two divers, the plane, under the control of 64-year-old pilot “Alain C,” came down. This downward movement caused a clash between Galy and the plane’s left wing and strut, beheading him. Galy’s emergency parachute was activated, landing his body in an open field.
The pilot, Alain C, is now facing manslaughter charges in Montauban. According to prosecutors, his actions contributed significantly to the accident. Alain challenges these claims, stating that Galy’s unexpected trajectory made him misinterpret the skydiver’s position. He shared how deeply the event has affected him while expressing that he did not make a mistake.
The ongoing trial has revealed more information. Alain, who works at a local skydiving school, did not give a briefing to the two skydivers prior to their descent. He admitted that he lost track of the wingsuit divers and thought he was safely away from them, even though he was aware of the fact that wingsuit divers have a slower descent and might intersect with the plane. It was also discovered that Alain was flying with a license that had lapsed because of medical complications.
Prosecutor Jeanne Regagnon underscored that Galy followed all the standard procedures during his jump. She recommends a 12-month suspended sentence for Alain and a monetary penalty exceeding $10,000 for his employer, the skydiving school.
The court’s decision will be given in November.