A shocking moment shows the terrifying moment a paraglider was struck by a small plane over the Austrian Alps, leaving the flyer spinning toward the ground before she managed to deploy her emergency chute and land safely, according to the New York Post. The incident happened Saturday afternoon near Schmittenhohe mountain, a popular spot for paragliding in northern Austria. According to the Salzburg State Police, Sabrina, a 44-year-old experienced paraglider, was flying with a camera mounted when a sightseeing plane suddenly passed directly through her canopy, just feet above her head.
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The first-person footage shows the wing splitting in half on impact. Sabrina immediately began spiralling and screaming as she lost control. With the main canopy shredded, she reached for her reserve parachute and managed to deploy it while falling.
Austrian police responded by helicopter and transported her to a local airport for medical checks. “The propeller of the motor plane severely damaged the paraglider, prompting the experienced paraglider to deploy her reserve parachute,” police said as quoted by NBC News.
Here’s what exactly happened:
🇦🇹 A paraglider collided midair with a Cessna 172 over Austria and somehow survived.
She deployed her emergency parachute seconds after impact and landed safely.
The plane pilot also managed to land safely at Zell am See Airport.pic.twitter.com/6IH7sTi3Ic
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 24, 2026
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The police said that both she and the pilot escaped serious injury. After landing at Zell am See Airport, the 28-year-old pilot also told the authorities that he was unable to avoid the collision.
She later posted that aside from bruises and contusions, she walked away with no serious injuries. “I actually still can’t believe that I’m sitting here typing this and apart from a few nasty bruises and bruises all around nothing really happened,” she wrote on Instagram in German.
The footage has since circulated widely on social media platforms, highlighting the risks of shared airspace and the importance of emergency equipment.
