Overview

• Forensic examination uncovered severe spinal cord fractures as the fatal injury in his powered paragliding crash.
• Pathologists detected no signs of cardiac distress, dispelling initial theories of a heart attack.
• Investigators suspect a sudden medical episode after finding no control inputs or warnings and a throttle left at idle.
• The July 17 accident saw the 56-year-old extreme sports icon plunge into a resort pool area in Porto Sant’Elpidio.
• Italy’s National Agency for Flight Safety will dispatch a technical expert to assess his paraglider and parachute under standard aviation protocols.