Investigation launched after fatal paragliding accident at festival
Two fatalities in paragliding accident; investigation opened, festival aerial activities suspended.
Event / Disaster
Coupe Icare Paragliding Accident
Two paragliders died in a tandem accident during the Coupe Icare aerial sports festival near Grenoble, France on September 20, 2026. The incident occurred during takeoff despite favorable weather conditions. Investigators have opened an inquiry into the accident.
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2026-09-20 to 2026-11-03 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 20 Sept, 15:11 UTC
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What happened
Two people die in paragliding accident during Coupe Icare festival
Two people were killed in a paragliding accident on September 20, 2026 during the Coupe Icare, an annual free flight sports festival held in Saint-Hilaire and Lumbin near Grenoble, France. The accident occurred in the morning around 8:15 AM during takeoff. The victims were a 29-year-old experienced paraglider and a 45-year-old passenger flying in tandem. Despite deploying an emergency parachute, the aircraft struck a cliff.
Investigation opened by Grenoble prosecutor into paragliding accident
The Grenoble prosecutor's office opened an investigation into the paragliding accident and assigned the investigation to the aerial transport gendarmerie brigade. The investigation aims to determine the circumstances of the crash that killed two people during the Coupe Icare festival.
Coupe Icare suspends aerial activities following fatal accident
The organizers of the Coupe Icare suspended the scheduled aerial activities for the day following the fatal paragliding accident. Weather conditions at the time were reported as very favorable. Activities partially resumed in the afternoon with pilots having the choice to fly or not, a decision made in consultation with the families of the deceased.
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