A wingsuit skydiver with more than 225 jumps was reportedly decapitated by the wing of a plane over southern France in July 2018, 20 seconds after jumping from the plane.
The Times of London reported on testimony at the pilot’s manslaughter trial, which took place this week in Montauban, France.
Testimony presented showed that 40-year-old Nicholas Galy was one of two skydivers who jumped from a single-engine Pilatus aircraft from about 14,000 feet above the town of Bouloc-en-Quercy in July 2018.
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A skydiver in a wingsuit prepares to jump from a mountainside. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images/File/Fox News)
The plane’s pilot, identified only as 64-year-old Alain C., quickly descended after the two parachutists in wingsuits evacuated the plane, catching up with them as they glided across the sky.
But as the plane caught up with the parachutists, the left wing struck Galy, decapitating him, the publication reported.
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Galy’s body landed in a field after his emergency parachute opened.
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A Pilatus PC-12/45 (AaronP / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images)
Alain has since been charged with manslaughter and prosecutors claim his mistakes led to the beheading.
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During the trial, Alain argued that he had done nothing wrong, adding that Galy “did not follow the expected course and should never have taken that course.”
The pilot later said he thought Galy was further south, when in fact he was parallel to the plane.
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During the trial, the plane’s pilot, Alain C., argued that he had done nothing wrong. (iStock)
“I think my flight route made sense,” said Alain. “This was the tragedy of my life, but it’s not my fault.”
The pilot also said he did not inform the skydivers about the jump and admitted he lost sight of the wingsuit duo, assuming he had moved away from them. He noted that wingsuit jumpers don’t descend much and can come into conflict with the aircraft.
Testimony also showed that Alain was flying an aircraft with an invalid license after breaching restrictions due to a medical condition.
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Jeanne Regagngon, the prosecutor, claimed during the trial that Galy was “the only one who followed the rules without negligence” that day and has since asked the court to impose a 12-month suspended sentence for the pilot and a fine of at least 10,000 US dollars for his employer.