In a tragic incident that took place in July 2018, a French pilot has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for decapitating an experienced skydiver with the wing of his plane. The pilot, identified as Alain C, was also convicted of operating an aircraft without a valid aeronautical license. The verdict was delivered by the Montauban criminal court on Tuesday.

The victim, 40-year-old Nicholas Galy, was a seasoned skydiver and aeronautical engineer. He was struck by the plane's wing mere seconds after he had jumped over the picturesque French countryside. Galy's family lawyer, Emmanuelle Franck, criticized the pilot for what she described as "a lot of recklessness or negligence" during a hearing on September 19. The court also highlighted a lack of communication between Galy and the pilot.

The retired pilot was formerly the chief pilot at a local parachuting school, known as The Midi-Pyrénées Skydiving School Association. The school itself received a fine of approximately $22,000, half of which was suspended, as per the court's decision.

According to reports from the Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Office, the single-engine aircraft was carrying Galy, another wingsuit flyer, and several parachutists over the Bouloc-en-Quercy region. Wingsuit fliers, who wear webbing-sleeved jumpsuits, experience a longer gliding time in the air compared to free falling.

Galy was the last person to jump from the plane, after which the pilot began descending rapidly. The court revealed that no discussion had taken place between the pilot and the wingsuit fliers regarding the plane's trajectory. Consequently, the plane caught up with Galy and struck him, resulting in his death. The impact caused Galy's emergency parachute to deploy.

Investigators utilized footage captured by a camera mounted on another wingsuit flyer's helmet to assist in their investigation.

During the court proceedings, the pilot maintained that he did not believe he was at fault for Galy's tragic demise. He argued that wingsuit fliers' flight paths can be more complicated due to their straight-line descent, which could potentially conflict with aircraft movement.

Ultimately, the pilot was handed a suspended sentence of 12 months and banned from flying for one year. While this verdict provides some semblance of justice for Nicholas Galy's family, it serves as a solemn reminder of the importance of effective communication and adherence to safety protocols within the aviation industry.