19980916040559A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr DREAMMACH582 · Franklin, NC · September 16, 1998

Date
September 16, 1998 · 08:00 local
Place
Franklin, NC
Airport
Macon County Airport
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
NONE
Reported as
Amtr DREAMMACH582
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX582
Fatal injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23)On September 16, 1998, about 0800 EDT a hopkins buck eye dream machine 582, an unregistered powered parachute, collided with trees during maneuvering flight near Franklin, north carolina. The ultralight aircraft was operated by the owner/pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the personal flight. There were minor injuries to the non-certificated pilot, serious injuries to his passenger, and the ultralight aircraft substantially damaged. The flight departed the Franklin airport earler the same morning, at an undetermined time. According to the pilot, he has taken his passenger to view her property from the power parachute. The pilot stated he miscalculated the weight penalty of the passenger. While maneuvering the ultralight aircraft inside a "cove", the aircraft could not climb above the tops of trees. The parachute snagged limbs which broke, and the vehicle fell about 20 feet to the ground. The pilot stated that the weather was not a factor. He estimated the clouds were above 1,000 feet, and he flew around patches of fog that were lifting during the fli ght. (.4)the pilot had taken a passenger in his powered parachute to see her property from the air. While maneuvering inside a 'cove' the powered parachute collided with a tree, the parachute snagged on tree limbs that broke, and the vehicle fell to the ground. The non-certificated pilot stated he had miscalculated the climb performance penalty of the passenger's weight, and could not climb over the tree.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1998, ABOUT 0800 EDT A HOPKINS BUCK EYE DREAM MACHINE 582, AN UNREGISTERED POWERED PARACHUTE, COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING MANEUVERING FLIGHT NEAR FRANKLIN, NORTH CAROLINA. THE ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY THE OWNER/PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THERE WERE MINOR INJURIES TO THE NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT, SERIOUS INJURIES TO HIS PASSENGER, AND THE ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE FRANKLIN AIRPORT EARLER THE SAME MORNING, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAS TAKEN HIS PASSENGER TO VIEW HER PROPERTY FROM THE POWER PARACHUTE. THE PILOT STATED HE MISCALCULATED THE WEIGHT PENALTY OF THE PASSENGER. WHILE MANEUVERING THE ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT INSIDE A "COVE", THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT CLIMB ABOVE THE TOPS OF TREES. THE PARACHUTE SNAGGED LIMBS WHICH BROKE, AND THE VEHICLE FELL ABOUT 20 FEET TO THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS NOT A FACTOR. HE ESTIMATED THE CLOUDS WERE ABOVE 1,000 FEET, AND HE FLEW AROUND PATCHES OF FOG THAT WERE LIFTING DURING THE FLI GHT. (.4)THE PILOT HAD TAKEN A PASSENGER IN HIS POWERED PARACHUTE TO SEE HER PROPERTY FROM THE AIR. WHILE MANEUVERING INSIDE A 'COVE' THE POWERED PARACHUTE COLLIDED WITH A TREE, THE PARACHUTE SNAGGED ON TREE LIMBS THAT BROKE, AND THE VEHICLE FELL TO THE GROUND. THE NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT STATED HE HAD MISCALCULATED THE CLIMB PERFORMANCE PENALTY OF THE PASSENGER'S WEIGHT, AND COULD NOT CLIMB OVER THE TREE.