20120329005199A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Indio, CA · March 29, 2012

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Date: March 29, 2012 · 18:30 local
Place: Indio, CA
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1

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.

The pilot of a powered parachute departed from an open field in Indio, CA. During the intial climb, the aircraft veered off course, and became entangled in power lines. The powered parachute subsequently came to rest suspended in the power lines and caught fire. The pilot was able to jump to the ground before the aircraft caught fire. The pilot suffered serious injuries.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT OF A POWERED PARACHUTE DEPARTED FROM AN OPEN FIELD IN INDIO, CA. DURING THE INTIAL CLIMB, THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF COURSE, AND BECAME ENTANGLED IN POWER LINES. THE POWERED PARACHUTE SUBSEQUENTLY CAME TO REST SUSPENDED IN THE POWER LINES AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO JUMP TO THE GROUND BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE. THE PILOT SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES.