47-year-old German Wingsuit Flyer Dies in Crash in St. Gallen Alps

The Alpine Operations Group of the St. Gallen Cantonal Police is investigating the incident under the leadership of the Federal Prosecutor's Office. The prosecutor's office is clarifying the exact circumstances of the crash, it was stated. The reasons for the crash are still unclear so far.

The day before, Thursday, a fatal wingsuit accident had already occurred in Switzerland: On Thursday, a 29-year-old wingsuit pilot died in Lower Valais. This is already the second fatal wingsuit accident in the current week, according to police information.

Risks of Wingsuit Flying

Wingsuits are wing-like suits in which fabric between the torso, arms, and legs serves as a lifting surface. Wingsuit flying is considered a dangerous extreme sport in which pilots fly past rock faces and mountain slopes at high speed. The slightest deviation from the planned course or an error during takeoff can be fatal in this terrain.

Investigation Under the Federal Prosecutor's Office

The region around Vättis in the Calfeisental has been known to base jumpers and wingsuit flyers for years, but also for the risks of the terrain. The combination of changing thermals in the afternoon hours, steep rock faces, and thin high-altitude air at 2080 meters presents a great challenge even for experienced pilots.

Second Fatal Accident Within a Week

The identity of the deceased was not officially released by the police. The authorities are asking eyewitnesses or persons with relevant information to contact the St. Gallen Cantonal Police. The companion of the deceased was looked after by the police's Care Team.

The accident is now occupying the responsible authorities at the cantonal and federal levels. The Federal Prosecutor's Office is taking overall charge of the investigation, as serious aviation accidents fall under its jurisdiction in Switzerland. A final report is not expected for weeks, once witness statements, technical expert reports, and flight data have been evaluated.

The incident has been met with dismay in the Swiss wingsuit scene. Representatives of the scene point out that although safety precautions have been improved in recent years, the residual risk in jumps in high alpine terrain can never be completely eliminated.