This is the terrifying moment a veteran paraglider plunges nearly 100ft onto rocks after his parachute appears to collapse in mid-air during a festival flight.
The fatal crash happened at Tekke Plateau in Oguzlar, Corum Province, northern Turkey, on 18th July during the 3rd Traditional Paragliding and Plateau Festival.
Footage shows 48-year-old Bayram Kurt launching successfully from the 1,540-metre-high Tekke Mountain before his canopy appears to lose control shortly afterwards.
The paraglider is seen remaining almost suspended in the air before suddenly losing altitude and dropping rapidly towards the ground.
Witnesses said strong and sudden wind gusts were a major factor in the crash, causing the canopy to lose its balance shortly after take-off.
Eyewitnesses said Bayram attempted to release his emergency reserve parachute, but the low altitude gave him no time for it to fully open before impact.
One spectator who was at the festival said: "The reserve parachute did not open. There is an emergency parachute, he tried to open it, but the altitude was too low. Because there was not enough time, it plummeted without being able to open."
Paragliding pilots who reviewed the footage said the wing appeared to enter a deep stall, meaning it stopped moving forward and could no longer generate enough lift to remain airborne.
One experienced pilot explained that the canopy may have been heavily braked while Bayram was trying to reach the landing area, causing it to lose airflow and drop vertically.
The pilot said: "If the wing doesn't move forward, it cannot produce lift. You drop like a stone with a deflated piece of nylon above your head."
Festival ground reports stated that Bayram fell onto rocky terrain inside the event area and struck a parked vehicle during the impact before emergency crews reached him.
He was given first aid at the scene and rushed to Oguzlar State Hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.
Bayram had travelled from Antalya to take part in the annual event, which brings together paragliding enthusiasts in the mountainous region.
His death caused shock among fellow pilots and spectators, with some locals questioning whether the weather conditions were suitable for flying.
One spectator said the wind conditions appeared dangerous from the beginning, adding there was "no reason to insist on launching in that wind".
Bayram's body was later returned to Antalya after a post-mortem examination, and he was buried following a funeral service on 19th July.
Jandarma officers launched an investigation into the crash, which remains ongoing.
(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)
