A mystery-powered paraglider flying oddly close to busy approach paths over the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory last Saturday afternoon set off a full-scale search across the Menlo Park research campus and nearby Jasper Ridge. For more than an hour, fire crews and aviation units swept the hills and canyons until word finally came in: the aircraft was already on the ground at Palo Alto Airport, and no one had been hurt.
Hazard call sends responders racing to SLAC
Around noon, a pilot on approach to San Carlos Airport radioed air-traffic control about a powered paraglider that appeared to be flying erratically near the airport’s arrival path. That call kicked off a coordinated response involving Menlo Park, Woodside, and Cal Fire crews, who headed for SLAC and Jasper Ridge to search for a possible crash site, according to The Almanac.
Ambulances were staged nearby while responders launched a drone and several helicopters to comb the rugged terrain. Menlo Park officials also asked the California Highway Patrol for help. The multi-agency hunt continued for more than an hour before crews were informed the paraglider had, in fact, landed safely at Palo Alto Airport.
Student pilot reports "unpredictable" flying
Student pilot Orlando Nell, who was flying into San Carlos at the time, told The Almanac the powered paraglider was "operating at multiple altitudes and maneuvering unpredictably" in the area of the San Carlos approach. His account framed the situation as a potential in-flight emergency and a possible hazard to other aircraft using the same corridor.
Where ultralights can and cannot fly
Powered paragliders that meet certain weight and speed limits are subject to the federal rules for ultralight vehicles, which impose strict restrictions near airports. Under 14 CFR Part 103, the regulations state: "No person may operate an ultralight vehicle within Class A, Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization" from air traffic control, according to the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR Part 103).
Safe landing, but big response
Officials later confirmed the powered paraglider had landed without incident at Palo Alto Airport at about 1:29 p.m., with no injuries reported, according to Redwood City Pulse. By that point, search crews had already deployed helicopters and a drone and had medical teams on standby in case the aircraft had gone down in the hills.
The SLAC campus alone spans roughly 426 acres, according to SLAC, making a search for a small ultralight-style craft a bit like looking for a lawn chair with a motor in the middle of a mini national park. A SLAC representative did not immediately provide comment while the operation was underway, according to the local reporting.
Why this kind of scare matters in the Midpeninsula
San Carlos and Palo Alto airports sit under tightly controlled approach and departure corridors, so an ultralight aircraft operating nearby without clear authorization is not just quirky, it is a safety issue. The weekend scare shows how a single radio call in congested Bay Area airspace can quickly pull together pilots, air-traffic controllers and ground crews, all trying to keep both the skies and the neighborhoods below out of harm’s way.
