DUBAI, UAE – One of Dubai’s most famous jetman pilots killed in a crash in November failed to deploy an emergency parachute attached to the rear-wing winged engines, according to an investigation report released on Thursday.
Investigators at the United Arab Emirates Civil Aviation Authority gave no explanation as to why 36-year-old Vincent Reffet of Annecy, France, did not use his parachute in the fall during a training flight in the desert. to the sheikh.
Describing Reffet as an “experienced professional parachutist” and jetwing pilot, investigators said videos of the Nov. 17 crash appeared to show him loss of control and entered a backflip floating about 240 meters (800 feet) from the ground.
Such flip-backs are common when wearing the wings and can be recovered if the pilot goes through the flip forward, the report says. Reffet had experience coming out of those flips in the past, but at higher altitudes.
“The risks of moving 800 feet were discussed during the pre-flight meeting and, as a risk mitigation, it was decided to abort the flight and deploy the emergency pyrotechnic parachute if the jetwing becomes uncontrollable,” the report said. “The investigation could not determine why the pilot did not choose this mitigation action.”
The video of a camera attached to the helmet showed the parachute unfolded only after it fell to the ground. Before that, his hands moved as if he thought he could get back into a plan, the report said. Jetwing did not experience mechanical problems before or during the flight, investigators said.
The training flight was to simulate a ground takeoff, a triangular flight and a jet landing on an 800-foot platform, the report said. A helicopter at this altitude was to simulate the platform, but investigators found no sign of a role in the crash.
XDubai, an extreme sports company that sponsors flights associated with Dubai’s heir apparent, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Not even Jetman Dubai, for which Reffet flew.
Reffet jumped BASE from Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world at 828 meters (2,716 feet) in Dubai, setting a world record. BASE is an acronym for building, antenna, expanse and earth. Earlier he won gold medals while competing as a free-flying parachutist in a team and competed as an extreme athlete.
Jetman Dubai, founded by Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy, sees its athletes zippered across the sky with a four-engine wing, made of carbon Kevlar tied to the back. The wings can fly 50 kilometers (30 miles), have a top speed of over 400 km / h (248 mph) and can reach an altitude of 6,100 meters (20,000 feet).
Famous in 2015, Reffet and Rossy flew alongside an Emirates Airbus A380 double-decker plane over Dubai.
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