20140331007409A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Smithville, TX · March 31, 2014

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Date: March 31, 2014 · 17:30 local
Place: Smithville, TX
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2

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.

On March 31, 2014, the operator of a powered parachute struck a tree approximately 20 feet above the ground. The aircraft came to rest just above the ground suspended by the parachute. The accident occurred approximately eight miles south of the Smithville, Texas airport.

The operator of the powered parachute said that he took off in the same direction the wind was blowing from and after being airborne he cleared the tops of the trees only to find the wind blowing from right to left. He said the aircraft went to the left and he was not able to control it before striking the tree.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 31, 2014, THE OPERATOR OF A POWERED PARACHUTE STRUCK A TREE APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST JUST ABOVE THE GROUND SUSPENDED BY THE PARACHUTE.THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MILES SOUTH OF THE SMITHVILLE, TEXAS AIRPORT.

THE OPERATOR OF THE POWERED PARACHUTE SAID THAT HE TOOK OFF IN THE SAME DIRECTION THE WIND WAS BLOWING FROM AND AFTER BEING AIRBORNE HE CLEARED THE TOPS OF THE TREES ONLY TO FIND THE WIND BLOWING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. HE SAID THE AIRCRAFT WENT TO THE LEFT AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL IT BEFORE STRIKING THE TREE.