A first-time hang glider who was forced to hang on for dear life after his instructor failed to attach his safety harness has vowed to take to the skies again.

US tourist Chris Gursky was holidaying with his in the mountains of Switzerland when he signed up for the hang-gliding experience.

The Florida auto-parts dealer said he realised something was wrong moments after takeoff.

He told Good Morning America: "I was just trying to stay calm, trying to hold on for dear life... I looked down once and I thought to myself 'this is it; I'm going to fall to my death. I'm a goner.'

"I just locked on and held on as long as I could."

Mr Gursky described how he began struggling to hold on during his terrifying ordeal.

"I was losing grip with my right hand that was holding onto a strap on the pilot’s right shoulder" he said.

"He was trying to make a beeline to the landing field as he knew what the situation could bring."

He described how he began struggling to hold on during his terrifying ordeal.

"I was losing grip with my right hand that was holding onto a strap on the pilot’s right shoulder" he said.

"He was trying to make a beeline to the landing field as he knew what the situation could bring."

He said the pilot “made a critical error in our pre-flight set-up by not attaching me to the glider” but praised him for getting down to the ground as quickly as possible while grabbing on to my harness and flying with one hand.

"I will go hang gliding again as I did not enjoy my first flight."

Mr Gursky had to have surgery on a wrist fracture he sustained during landing, but he was discharged the same day.