Paraglider survives midair collision with plane in Austrian Alps

A 44-year-old paraglider survived a midair collision with a small plane over the Austrian Alps on Saturday after the aircraft tore through her canopy, sending her spiraling toward the ground before she deployed an emergency parachute. The incident occurred near the Schmittenhöhe mountain in northern Austria, close to the town of Piesendorf and not far from Zell am See.

The paraglider, identified in social media posts as Sabrina, was flying in clear skies when a Cessna 172 emerged and struck her glider. Footage she recorded shows the plane passing only feet above her head before its propeller shredded the canopy, splitting it in half. She began spinning out of control and can be heard screaming in the video before she managed to untangle herself and pull the handle of her reserve parachute. The emergency chute deployed and slowed her descent. She landed hard on a grassy area, suffering what she described as a few nasty bruises and general contusions.

Austrian police confirmed that the 44-year-old woman had launched from Schmittenhöhe and was flying toward Piesendorf when the collision happened. The pilot of the Cessna, a 28-year-old man from Tyrol, was on a sightseeing flight...