What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated that as the aircraft was flying in level flight, it all of a sudden, and sharply, it turned to the right with no control inputs. He tried turning it to the left, but it still continued to the right. He thought about turning off the fly-by-wire servo, but realized it was not?t the problem and wanted to keep using it to help rudder pedal inputs.
As the aircraft passed 180 degrees? Of turn, he realized it was coming down over trees and he had completely lost control, but did find that adding power added lift to the left side of the parachute and reducing power reduced the lift. At one point the parachute was parallel with the vehicle, which would have been consistent with a cell blowout; the poc also said he felt that he only had 1/3 of the wing. At some point, he believes the cell pressurized briefly, which straightened the aircraft, allowing it to avoid the trees before hitting the ground.
Once the aircraft hit the ground, the fuel tank ruptured, which then resulted in a fire that consumed the parachute.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING IN LEVEL FLIGHT, IT ALL OF A SUDDEN, AND SHARPLY, IT TURNED TO THE RIGHT WITH NO CONTROL INPUTS. HE TRIED TURNING IT TO THE LEFT, BUT IT STILL CONTINUED TO THE RIGHT. HE THOUGHT ABOUT TURNING OFF THE FLY-BY-WIRE SERVO, BUT REALIZED IT WAS NOT?T THE PROBLEM AND WANTED TO KEEP USING IT TO HELP RUDDER PEDAL INPUTS.
AS THE AIRCRAFT PASSED 180 DEGREES? OF TURN, HE REALIZED IT WAS COMING DOWN OVER TREES AND HE HAD COMPLETELY LOST CONTROL, BUT DID FIND THAT ADDING POWER ADDED LIFT TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PARACHUTE AND REDUCING POWER REDUCED THE LIFT. AT ONE POINT THE PARACHUTE WAS PARALLEL WITH THE VEHICLE, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT WITH A CELL BLOWOUT; THE POC ALSO SAID HE FELT THAT HE ONLY HAD 1/3 OF THE WING. AT SOME POINT, HE BELIEVES THE CELL PRESSURIZED BRIEFLY, WHICH STRAIGHTENED THE AIRCRAFT, ALLOWING IT TO AVOID THE TREES BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND.
ONCE THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND, THE FUEL TANK RUPTURED, WHICH THEN RESULTED IN A FIRE THAT CONSUMED THE PARACHUTE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.