Prosecutor: Human error caused Baumgartner paragliding crash in Italy

An investigating prosecutor said Tuesday that human error caused the July 17 paragliding crash that killed Austrian extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner along Italy’s Adriatic coast, and that there were no mechanical faults with his motorized paraglider. The crash occurred over Porto Sant’Elpidio and ended when Baumgartner’s craft plunged into the swimming pool area of a beachside resort, witnesses said.

Prosecutor Raffaele Iannella said the investigation found that Baumgartner fell into a spiral from which he could not recover. "He fell into a spiral, and he could not get out. He was unable to do the maneuver that he should have done to exit from the fall," Iannella said. He said the findings appear to rule out equipment failure. The prosecutor said he will ask a judge to approve closing the inquiry.

Witnesses reported that the flight initially appeared normal before the paraglider began spinning toward the ground. Local authorities previously said debris from the crash injured a woman at the resort. Porto Sant’Elpidio Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella expressed condolences to Baumgartner’s family and described the community as deeply impacted by the loss. He had earlier suggested a...