RENO — Police say high winds sheared the wings off a glider while it was flying over downtown Reno on Sunday afternoon, but the pilot parachuted to safety.
Police say the pilot left Sunday morning from the Minden-Tahoe Airport, about 40 miles south of Reno, and was returning there when the accident occurred about 2:30 p.m.
The pilot escaped with minor injuries, and was released after treatment at the scene.
The National Weather Service reports winds of about 35 mph at the time.
Police say the glider’s fuselage landed in a parking lot next to the Easy 8 Motel and one of the wings landed just under a mile away at Dick Taylor Memorial Park. Police were searching for the other wing.
Easy 8 manager Raj Patel says he went outside after hearing a loud noise and saw the pilot land on the nearby roof of the multi-story parking garage of Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center.
The pilot’s name wasn’t immediately released.
