NSW: Dead Chinese paraglider may have struck storm cell

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2007
NSW: Dead Chinese paraglider may have struck storm cell

SYDNEY, Feb 15 AAP - A Chinese paraglider found dead in northern NSW may have crashed
and died after being sucked into a storm cell, fellow paragliders believe.

The 40-year-old man went missing during a training flight yesterday.

His body was found by the Westpac Rescue helicopter 25km south-east of Bingara at about
2pm (AEDT) today.

The man, a member of the Chinese national paragliding team, was last seen about 3pm
(AEDT) yesterday while taking part in a training flight prior to the Paragliding World
Championships, which start next week in nearby Manilla.

The dead paraglider had 10 years experience, colleagues said.

Godfrey Wenness, from the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia, said the Chinese paraglider
was one of 200 people taking part in a routine training flight yesterday afternoon.

But thunderstorms had moved in and the man could have been sucked into a strong storm
cell that other pilots had avoided.

"We're not too sure about the exact circumstances yet but we know it has something
to do with the stormcloud," Mr Wenness said.

"Everyone else gave it a wide berth.

"Maybe he was trying to thread the needle between two cells, but we don't know."

A storm cell is an unstable mass of air, part of a storm-producing weather system.

Mr Wenness said more would be known tomorrow after data retrieved from the GPS instruments
carried by the man had been used to map out his exact flight path.

MORE ab/hn/sp

KEYWORD: PARAGLIDER

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.