Cessna Caravan and Paraglider Collide Mid-Air in Texas

Federal authorities are investigating a mid-air collision involving a Cessna 208 Super Caravan and a paraglider near Houston, Texas.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, December 23, 2021 at 08:12 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

A mid-air collision near Houston, Texas, on December 21 killed both the pilot of a Cessna 208 Super Caravan and a paraglider pilot.
The accident occurred in VFR conditions within Class Echo airspace, an area known for glider and parachuting activities.
ATC recordings indicate the Caravan pilot was cleared to 5,000 feet shortly before contact was lost and radar disappeared.
Federal authorities are investigating the incident, with a preliminary report expected in approximately two weeks.

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Federal authorities are investigating a mid-air collision involving a Cessna 208 Super Caravan and a paraglider near Houston, Texas. The accident happened December 21 in VFR conditions. Both pilots were the only people onboard the respective aircraft. Both were killed.

The pilot of the Caravan has been identified as 35-year-old Robert Steven Gruss; the paraglider pilot has been identified as 51-year-old Kenneth Tuttle.