Austrian Paraglider Survives Midair Collision with Aircraft
Dramatic Midair Encounter
A woman paragliding over the Austrian Alps had a close brush with death when a small plane collided with her glider. The incident, which occurred on May 23 above Piesendorf, Salzburg, was captured on video and has since gone viral. Sabrina, the 44-year-old paraglider, was enjoying her flight when the sightseeing aircraft struck her midair, as reported by local authorities.
The 28-year-old pilot of the plane later explained to investigators that he was unable to avoid the crash. The collision severely damaged Sabrina's paraglider, forcing her to deploy her reserve parachute to regain control. Police confirmed her quick thinking in a statement.
🇦🇹 WILD FOOTAGE! A small plane slammed into a woman’s paraglider canopy mid-air in Austria!She untangled herself, deployed a reserve chute, and landed safely.She said: “I still can’t believe I’m sitting here typing this.”Footage: @sab_thi (IG)pic.twitter.com/lyGcvMp5ED
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 25, 2026
Despite the chaos, Sabrina managed to keep her composure and successfully landed after deploying her emergency parachute. The entire ordeal was recorded by a camera attached to her gear, showcasing the moment the glider's wing was ripped apart by the aircraft. In the video, she can be heard expressing her panic as she spun uncontrollably in the air.
Emergency services were alerted promptly, and she was taken to a local airport for medical evaluation. The plane landed safely at Zell am See Airport, where the pilot reiterated his inability to prevent the incident. Sabrina later shared on Instagram in German, expressing disbelief at her survival, stating, "I actually still can't believe that I'm sitting here typing this, and apart from a few nasty bruises, nothing really happened."