Hang gliding instructor suffers broken arm in massive take-off fail

A hang glider and paraglider have tangled and crashed in a frightening collision at a popular takeoff point in the hills above Rio de Janeiro.

Footage of the accident, which was uploaded to YouTube on Sunday, shows groups of paragliders preparing to launch into the sky from the popular tourist area of Pedra Bonita, which means ‘Beautiful Rock’ in English.

An instructor and his companion wait on a short, steep ramp that drops off into thin air, and a beeper announces they are cleared for take-off.

The pair’s canopy fills with air and they momentarily lift into the sky, but they have no idea that a hang glider has already taken off behind them.

Warning shouts can be heard on the video, moments before the two lightweight aircraft spectacularly collide.

The hang glider becomes tangled in the ropes of the paraglider’s wing, its nose pitches sharply towards the ground and all four people come crashing back to earth.

According to website Koreus, departures are normally timed to avoid such an event.

Two people have reportedly been dismissed from the company that was responsible for the accident.

The hang gliding instructor reportedly suffered a broken arm but nobody else is believed to have been injured.