In a tragic incident that took place over the French countryside in July 2018, Nicholas Galy, a seasoned skydiver and aeronautical engineer, lost his life after being struck by the wing of a plane seconds after jumping. The pilot involved in the collision, identified as Alain C, was recently found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and operating an aircraft without a valid aeronautical license by the Montauban criminal court.

According to reports from French outlet Le Parisien, the court handed the pilot a suspended sentence of 12 months and banned him from flying for a year. In addition, the court imposed a fine of approximately $22,000 on the parachuting school, the Midi-Pyrénées Skydiving School Association, where the retired pilot formerly served as chief pilot. However, half of the fine was suspended.

During a hearing on September 19, Emmanuelle Franck, the lawyer representing Galy's family, criticized the pilot for displaying "a lot of recklessness or negligence" leading up to the incident. The president of the court also cited a lack of communication between the victim and the pilot as a contributing factor.

The investigation revealed that the single-engine aircraft, carrying Galy, another wingsuit flyer, and several parachutists, was over the Bouloc-en-Quercy region at the time of the incident. Galy, who was the last person to jump from the plane, tragically collided with the aircraft after the pilot initiated a rapid descent.

Wingsuit fliers, distinguished by their webbing-sleeved jumpsuits, enjoy an extended gliding time compared to traditional free fall skydivers. In this case, the pilot and the wingsuit fliers had not discussed the plane's trajectory, leading to the collision. The incident was captured on camera by a wingsuit flyer wearing a helmet-mounted camera, which provided crucial evidence for investigators.

In previous reporting, the pilot had maintained his innocence and expressed that he did not believe he was at fault for Galy's untimely death. He defended his flight path by stating that it made logical sense and claimed that the complexities of flying with wingsuiters, who maintain a more linear trajectory, can potentially lead to conflicts with the aircraft.

While the court's ruling holds the pilot accountable for the tragic accident, it serves as a reminder of the importance of clear communication and proper coordination between pilots and skydivers. The loss of Nicholas Galy continues to be mourned, leaving a void in the skydiving community.