'Speedwing' rider crashes into Pendle Hill (From Lancashire Telegraph)

'Speedwing' rider crashes into Pendle Hill

7:11pm Monday 11th April 2011 in News By Peter Magill, Chief reporter

AIRLIFTED The side of Pendle Hill

A ‘SPEEDWING’ rider was airlifted to the Royal Blackburn Hospital after crashing into the side of Pendle Hill during a descent.

Mountain rescue teams and the North West Air Ambulance were alerted after the 44-year-old crashed on the Ribble Valley side of the summit.

He was using a ‘speedwing’ a smaller and lighter version of a paraglider which can be used in high winds.

The rider is thought to have fallen at least 30 feet and suffered a back injury just before 1pm on Saturday.

Rossendale and Pendle mountain rescue team volunteers were scrambled to the area and assembled close to the Nick o’Pendle.

The glider came to rest on open land but away from an accessible road, in the Howcroft Barn area. Several spectators offered assistance.

Team leader Andy Simpson said: “You do get quite a few people around here jumping off Pendle Hill. This appears to be more of a heavy landing than a full-blown crash.”

John Roddam, secretary of the Pennine Soaring Club, confirmed the injured man was not a member of the popular Lancashire paragliding and handgliding organisation.

“This guy was not a member and from what I have heard he knew someone who had some equipment and just wanted to have a go,” he added.

An air ambulance team managed to reach the casualty, who has not been named. He was taken to the Blackburn hospital within six minutes for treatment.

Currently speedwings are not subject to the same licensing and safety regimes as normal handgliders and paragliders.