Sunday, 17 Aug 2014, fatal wingsuit accident: a 35 year old Australian male, launched from Le Brevent (2525 meters) and impacted on rocks in the ENSA couloir.
Wingsuit flying accident above Chamonix Mont-Blanc. An Australian male lost his life wingsuit flying from the summit of Le Brévent (2525m), directly above Chamonix town. The man died shortly after a BASE launch at 08:50 CET from Le Brévent. A rescue and recovery team from the Chamonix PGHM located the body in the ENSA couloir. An investigation has been opened to determine the reasons for this accident. The pilot may have been unable to convert from freefall, to gain sufficient lift and forward speed or there may have been a small direction issue. Whatever the cause, the pilot impacted on rock in the ENSA couloir. The investigation is likely to focus on air flow in the couloir. Typically, the ENSA couloir does not see much thermal air activity before 9am in mid August. In the early morning, sinking air will travel down the couloir. Neutral air, neither rising or falling, is preferred by Wingsuit pilots as this takes away uncontrollable variables while flying in close proximity to a hard surface. The launch time indicates that the pilot was seeking neutral air.
This is Brian Drake's successful attempt top fly down and out of the ENSA Couloir on 16 Dec 2013. There is not a lot of room for error.
Drake died in hospital, three and a half months later, after taking a wrong turn and impacting alpine pasture in the Bernese Oberland, from a helicopter launch.
Wingsuit Flying:
Wingsuit flying is an extreme sport where well-defined rules and considerable training is required. The human body flies through the air using a special jumpsuit, called a wingsuit. The suit adds surface area providing a significant increase in lift. A wingsuit flight normally terminates with a parachute deployment. A wingsuit can be flown safely from any point that provides sufficient altitude for the flight and parachute deployment. The parachute canopy is similar to a small wing paraglider, permitting good manoeuvrability and Landing Zone targeting. To fly under the canopy, pilots must unzip their arms from the wingsuit to gain full arm mobility necessary for safe canopy flight.
Wingsuit flying in the Chamonix Valley
Chamonix banned wingsuit flying in 2012, but a subsequent review by the Mayor of Chamonix, upheld the belief that makes Chamonix exceptional, the belief that every person has the right to chose their own destiny. Thus, on the 5 July 2013 the practice of wingsuit flying was authorized again with Le Brevent re-instated as an authorized launch point.
Nate "Ginger" Jones: Wingsuit Jumping Brévent:
