A terrifying midair collision over the Austrian Alps has gone viral online after dramatic first-person footage showed a sightseeing plane tearing directly through a woman’s paraglider canopy thousands of feet above the ground. The woman survived the incident after deploying her emergency reserve parachute moments before crashing.
The incident reportedly took place near Schmittenhöhe mountain in northern Austria, a popular destination for paragliding and scenic flights. According to reports, the paraglider, identified as 44-year-old Sabrina, was flying over the region when a small sightseeing aircraft suddenly appeared above her and collided with her canopy.
Viral video captured the terrifying moment
The footage, recorded on Sabrina’s mounted camera, shows the plane slicing through the paraglider wing within seconds. After the collision, the canopy appeared shredded while Sabrina began spiralling uncontrollably through the air.
The video quickly turns chaotic as torn parachute fabric wraps around her while she rapidly loses altitude. Social media users described the footage as “straight out of a movie” because of how suddenly the peaceful flight turned into a life-threatening emergency.
Emergency parachute likely saved her life
Despite the panic, Sabrina managed to untangle herself and deploy her emergency reserve parachute while falling. The backup chute slowed her descent enough for her to make an emergency landing on the mountainside. According to Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, she escaped with bruises and minor injuries despite the severity of the accident. Authorities later rescued her using a police helicopter.
In a statement shared after the incident, Sabrina reportedly said she still could not believe she survived the terrifying ordeal.
Pilot also landed safely
The 28-year-old pilot of the sightseeing aircraft also landed safely at Zell am See Airport after the collision. Authorities said the pilot claimed there was “no way” to avoid the paraglider during the incident.
Police investigations into the collision are ongoing.
Internet calls the survival ‘miraculous’
As the footage spread online, many social media users called Sabrina’s survival miraculous while praising her calm response during the emergency. Several viewers pointed out that her ability to deploy the reserve parachute under extreme pressure likely saved her life. The viral clip has also sparked discussions around aviation safety and the dangers of shared airspace in adventure sports zones.
For many viewers online, however, the most shocking part remains the same: how someone managed to survive a moment that looked almost impossible to escape.
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