Inquiry Launched into Cameraman’s Death in Mid-Air Crash While Filming World Record Paramotor Attempt

A cameraman who was killed in a mid-air paramotor crash during the filming of a Guinness World Record attempt had previously expressed concerns about stress leading up to the incident.

Cameraman Dan Burton died after his paramotor was involved in a collision with one flown by his colleague Sacha Dench in the Highlands, Scotland, on September 18, 2021.

Dench — who is the co-founder of charity Conservation Without Borders, which Burton was working for — is known as the “human swan” for previously paramotoring alongside migrating swans.

The 52-year-old cameraman was filming Dench’s bid to break a world record and become the first woman to make a 3,000-mile trip around Britain using a battery-powered adapted paramotor. She had set a Guinness World Record as the first woman to cross the English Channel by paramotor five years earlier.

Dench and Burton were in the final stages of the challenge in September 2021 when the cameraman collided with Dench’s paramotor. Burton was killed while Dench was left seriously injured.

Last week, a fatal accident inquiry was held into Burton’s death at Tain Sheriff Court, Scotland. The court heard that concerns had been raised about stress by those involved in the expedition, due to “24/7” workplace culture. The potential for a collision between pilots had also been highlighted on a risk assessment form.

Giving evidence, Charlotte Harrison-Littlefield, who used to be social media manager for Conservation Without Borders, told how she had been involved as a volunteer. She says Burton had raised concerns about stress, and there had been a “heated” conversation between workers, volunteers and the two pilots, according to reports.

“There were several occasions where Dan Burton expressed to me and others about frustrations with the working environment and general progress of expedition,” Harrison-Littlefield says in the inquiry.

“The expedition was chronically behind in terms of where we should be geographically and how many people we interviewed. The time the expedition was due to take — six weeks — was extended to be a lot more.

“It was quite a stressful working environment — we were asked to get a lot done and didn’t have time. Conversations about realistic ends were not always heard.”

The inquiry heard that Burton had been “shaken” by a landing after a flight earlier the same day.

“I remember that the landing from the morning flight was not ideal. I remember that Dan was quite shaken when I collected him. I picked him up in the car,” Harrison-Littlefield tells the court.

According to a report by The Independent, she told the court that Dench “had the final say” over decisions around flying. The inquiry is ongoing into the cameraman’s death.

“Work-related stress came from Sacha Dench, as she was essentially the boss in this scenario,” Harrison-Littlefield adds.

Image credits: Header photo via Facebook.