Paraglider in deadly Fulshear crash with plane was not seen by air traffic control, report finds

FULSHEAR, Texas (KTRK) -- The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report of the deadly Dec. 21, 2021 collision involving a paraglider and a small plane.

The crash happened at about 9:40 a.m. in the 3500 block of Bowser in the Fulshear area.

According to the report, the Cessna was flying from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Victoria Regional Airport. As it was increasing descent, the pilot, 35-year-old Robert Gruss, did not know the paraglider was in the area because the paraglider did not have a transponder or an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B), the report read.

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Because the paraglider did not have a transponder or the ADS-B, its position was not displayed on the air traffic controller's display. It was then that the plane's right wing hit the paraglider, who was identified as 51-year-old Kenneth Tuttle.

SkyEye video from the scene showed what appeared to be debris from the crash. At least one parachute was also seen on the ground in the area. The NTSB's report confirmed the emergency parachute was deployed at some point.