‘Human Swan’ paramotor flyer tells FAI: I was paranoid about other pilots

A paramotor pilot who was involved in a mid-air collision that left another flyer dead has told an inquiry she had been “paranoid” about flying close to other pilots since an earlier crash in Wales.

Sacha Dench was attempting a 3,000-mile round Britain by paramotor challenge when the aircraft she was flying was involved in a collision with one piloted by Dan Burton, 54.

Mr Burton died in the incident, which happened on September 18 2021, while Ms Dench survived but suffered serious injuries.

The expedition, which was named the Round Britain Climate Challenge, started in June and had been intended to highlight the issue of climate change ahead of the Cop26 conference, which took place in Glasgow later that year.

Climate activist Ms Dench had previously received acclaim for a similar expedition recounted in BBC documentary, Flight Of The Swans, which saw her dubbed the “human swan”.

Giving evidence to a fatal accident inquiry (FAI) at Tain Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Ms Dench recalled an earlier collision with another pilot while paragliding onto a hill in Wales.

“I was coming into land and another pilot above me caught his knee in my wing, and we both landed together,” she said.

“I got dragged off the top of the hill, dragged along on my face. I didn’t know it at the time but I had broken my arm as well.”

Asked what effect the accident had had, she explained she stopped flying in crowded places altogether, and had a “very strict rule” of mostly flying alone.

“I essentially was very paranoid about no-one flying close to me,” she said.

Victoria Andrews, representing the charity Conservation Without Borders, asked her why, despite this, she was happy to fly with Mr Burton.

“I trusted him,” Ms Dench replied.

“We had flown a lot together, he was very well aware of my style of piloting.”

She added that the pair had previously flown “long distance” together from Russia on the Flight of the Swans expedition.

Ms Dench, originally from Australia, also faced a number of questions from her representative, Simon Richards, on how two paramotorists flew together and interacted while in the air.

Asked what an “unsafe” distance between two paramotorists would be, she replied there was “no need to be within 50 metres of another pilot”, and that flying to the side of another pilot was safest.

She said you should never fly “directly in front or behind someone”, since flying in front of someone generated turbulence, and a pilot cannot see what is directly behind them.

She confirmed it would therefore be the “duty” of the pilot flying directly behind another paramotorist to ensure they never fly in that position.

She said Mr Burton would sometimes fly directly above or behind her to shoot video or photographs, but “only if we were doing a specific flying protocol”.

She went on: “The only time would be if we were in communication and he was specifically telling me where to go.

“Otherwise he would not be anywhere near me.”

Mr Richards also asked her about communication between the pilots while in the air, which the inquiry heard yesterday used “open channel” Bluetooth headsets that automatically connected when they came within about 800 metres of each other.

Ms Dench said if either pilot had been out of range for any reason, such as to film a video, there would be an “audible sound” in the headset’s earpiece when they came back into range.

Mr Richards asked her: “If you are not in communication with another pilot, then, your belief would be they are not within range?”

Ms Dench said yes, and also agreed with Mr Richards’ suggestion that if this were the case, you are free to move “up, down, right, left without having to warn (the other pilot)”.

She was also asked by Fiscal Depute Jemma Eadie what gauges and measures she had on board the aircraft for monitoring fuel levels and altitude.

A number of times Ms Dench said she could not remember specific details, and at one point fought back tears as she said: “It was four-and-a-half years ago and I hit my head pretty hard.”

The FAI previously heard some evidence during hearings in May last year and in January this year.

Mr Burton was from Devon.

The inquiry continues.