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A contractor crashed his supercar at 244mph while trying to deploy a parachute, an inquest has heard.
Zef Eisenberg, 47, had tried to prove that he had created the fastest Porsche in the world and achieved a “flying mile” record.
He died at Elvington Aerodrome near York on October 1, 2020.
The Porsche 911 Turbo took off and traveled 500 meters before coming to a stop.
Mr Eisenberg suffered ‘multiple traumatic injuries’ and coroner Jon Heath recorded a finding of misadventure.
He did so after hearing the millionaire falsely brake and then deploy the parachute, making the car unstable and causing it to take off.
Mr Eisenberg had requested that the parachute be fitted as part of his own bespoke design, the inquest found.
The contractor had to remove his left hand from the steering wheel of the modified vehicle – which was cleared to drive on the road – to use a lever to deploy the parachute.
Jamie Champkin of Motorsport UK – the organization that gave Mr Eisenberg the license to take on the challenge – said the car hit the ground first.
He told the inquest: ‘The car took off very quickly, it traveled 513 meters before coming to rest.
“As soon as he’s in the air, there’s no friction, other than air friction, to limit his speed in any way.”
He added: ‘Our estimates were that it was probably still 150mph, maybe 250mph, but it hit the ground and our very basic calculations would suggest an impact force of up to 37,000 pounds or 218 times Mr. Eisenberg’s body weight.
“This incident did not make it possible to survive in this context.”
Mr Heath said he would write a report asking Motorsport UK to consider regulations on the strength of the chassis to which the harnesses are fitted – although this was not a factor in Mr Eisenberg’s death – in hopes of avoiding future deaths.
Steve Gardner, who was a collision investigator for North Yorkshire Police at the time, said another way to deploy a parachute was to use a button mounted on the steering wheel, but not mounted on the vehicle.
“The parachute deployment motion was quite significant,” the former traffic cop said.
“It was a lever that had to be pushed forward.”
Mr. Gardner noted a minimal but noticeable jolt to the steering wheel a few seconds before Mr. Eisenberg lost control.
The millionaire had completed 10 laps of the airfield that day, with analysis of the vehicle finding no faults in the brakes, tires or aerodynamics.
Relatives who joined the inquest remotely expressed concerns about whether he was properly restrained using a six-point harness, which was attached to the car in five places.
In 2016, thrill-seeker Mr Eisenberg survived Britain’s fastest motorbike crash at the same airfield when his turbine-powered motorbike failed to stop at the end of the runway .
Although he survived, he was forced to learn to walk again after breaking his leg and pelvic bones.
The millionaire businessman made his fortune in north London, with protein powder brand Maximuscle Fitness – which was later sold to pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline – before settling on the island of Guernsey.
He presented the ITV show Speed Freaks focusing on designing, building and engineering extreme cars.
Mr. Eisenberg’s family paid tribute to him, calling him “a true genius with unique talents”.
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