Involved in an Accident or Incident?
Please report any accident or incident you witness or are involved in:
Report an Incident
Accident Assistance Fund Information
How You Can Help
One of the most recent additions to our safety "toolbox" is the new Accident/Incident Reporting System, called AIRS. This system allows anyone to report an accident or incident in complete confidentiality. Help improve our understanding of the factors related to accidents and incidents (events that could easily have resulted in an accident, but the pilot was lucky!).
Read more about it in the articles below. Links to AIRS are included when you Report an Incident
Preflight Safety Apps
USHPA has produced two iPad apps for Preflight Safety, available from the iTunes Store. They have also been made into Interactive PDFs. See USHPA Preflight Safety for more information.
Safety-Oriented Articles
A variety of articles have been written over the years to help pilots learn from the experience of others. Some originally appeared in USHPA Pilot (previously Hang Gliding & Paragliding) magazine, some were sent via USHPA newsletter, and others were authored specifically for the website. Regardless of the original format, all are valuable resources for pilots interesting in long, safe flying careers.
General Articles about Safety and Risk Management
Accident Analysis
Fatality Reports
Hang Glider-specific Articles
Paraglider-specific Articles
Safety Issue - Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine (2009), including
- Spirals, Spins, Collapses: Know the Difference? by Luis Rosenkjer
- Safety: A Constructive Response by David Dagault
- The Three Ps: Preparation, Practice, Prevention by Steve Roti
- Two Cent Tips by Mike Steed
- Back to the Training Hill by Bacil Dickert and Joe Gregor
- Sprog Settings and Hang Glider Pitch Stability by Dennis Pagen
- Pilot Error by Ryan Voight
*USHPA Culture of Safety Campaign
Fatality Reports
Please refer to the Fatalities page.
Safety Communications
Detailed reports about selected incidents are available as Safety communications (Members Only).
Safety Advisories
From time to time, USHPA releases safety advisories, briefings, and airworthiness alerts to the flying community. These can always be found in the News area under topic Safety Advisories .
Hang Glider Manufacturers Association (HGMA)
Between 1977 and 2022, the Hang Glider Manufacturers Association was an international association of hang glider manufacturers that administered a set of industry consensus airworthiness testing standards for hang gliders. Read more....
USHPA SAFETY AWARENESS CREDO
I promise to respect the choice to fly, conditions to fly, my equipment, & my responsibility to others.
To protect the sport, the places I fly, the freedoms I enjoy, & the people in this free-flight community.
I am a FOCUSED PILOT*