What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 26, 2017, at 0900 pacific daylight time, a 2016 Six Chuter West LLC. Legend Xl, registration number N781SC, impacted terrain following contact with a power line during an instructional flight. The pilot flying was seriously injured, instructor pilot not injured, and the powered parachute substantially damaged. The powered parachute was registered to the instructor pilot's business, skystriders light sport aviation LLC. And had departed the prosser, WA airport (S40) at approximately 0815. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed.
The METAR recorded at 1555Z from sunnyside airport (K1S5), which is 8 miles north-northwest of the accident site, was wind calm, 10 statue miles visibility, clear sky, temperature 8C, dew point 6C, and altimeter setting 30.29 inches of mercury.
The purpose of the flight was to complete a flight review for the front seat pilot who was controlling the aircraft at the time of the accident. The front seat pilot reported 120 hours of expereince in powered parachutes and completed his previous flight review on June 22, 2015.
Both the instructor and the front seat pilot provided a written statement describing the accident flight. The first 45 minutes of flight, which included ground reference maneuvers, was uneventful. Following a simulated forced landing approach to a crop circle, the instructor asked the front seat pilot to drop to a lower altitude, one which he would feel comfortable with, as if they were approaching the field for a landing. The descent began from 400-500 feet and ended approximately 10-40 feet above ground level as they came over the field. There they began a counterclockwise turn around the periphery of the crop circle.
The instructor reported the last part of the descent, over the crop circle, became steeper to a point which they needed to respond with a fast addition of throttle. The descent continued and as they found themselves heading for low power lines (2 lines approximately 15-20 feet off the ground) which they had not seen until then.
The front seat pilot reported leveling off and begining a left turn around the crop circle before seeing the power lines.
Both statements went on to say they tried to turn left away from the power lines when the wheels hit the top wire which resulted in a vertical dive into the ground.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 26, 2017, AT 0900 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A 2016 SIX CHUTER WEST LLC. LEGEND XL, REGISTRATION NUMBER N781SC, IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING CONTACT WITH A POWER LINE DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT FLYING WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, INSTRUCTOR PILOT NOT INJURED, AND THE POWERED PARACHUTE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE POWERED PARACHUTE WAS REGISTERED TO THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S BUSINESS, SKYSTRIDERS LIGHT SPORT AVIATION LLC. AND HAD DEPARTED THE PROSSER, WA AIRPORT (S40) AT APPROXIMATELY 0815. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
THE METAR RECORDED AT 1555Z FROM SUNNYSIDE AIRPORT (K1S5), WHICH IS 8 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WAS WIND CALM, 10 STATUE MILES VISIBILITY, CLEAR SKY, TEMPERATURE 8C, DEW POINT 6C, AND ALTIMETER SETTING 30.29 INCHES OF MERCURY.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO COMPLETE A FLIGHT REVIEW FOR THE FRONT SEAT PILOT WHO WAS CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FRONT SEAT PILOT REPORTED 120 HOURS OF EXPEREINCE IN POWERED PARACHUTES AND COMPLETED HIS PREVIOUS FLIGHT REVIEW ON JUNE 22, 2015.
BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE FRONT SEAT PILOT PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT DESCRIBING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE FIRST 45 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, WHICH INCLUDED GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS, WAS UNEVENTFUL. FOLLOWING A SIMULATED FORCED LANDING APPROACH TO A CROP CIRCLE, THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED THE FRONT SEAT PILOT TO DROP TO A LOWER ALTITUDE, ONE WHICH HE WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, AS IF THEY WERE APPROACHING THE FIELD FOR A LANDING. THE DESCENT BEGAN FROM 400-500 FEET AND ENDED APPROXIMATELY 10-40 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AS THEY CAME OVER THE FIELD. THERE THEY BEGAN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE TURN AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE CROP CIRCLE.
THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THE LAST PART OF THE DESCENT, OVER THE CROP CIRCLE, BECAME STEEPER TO A POINT WHICH THEY NEEDED TO RESPOND WITH A FAST ADDITION OF THROTTLE. THE DESCENT CONTINUED AND AS THEY FOUND THEMSELVES HEADING FOR LOW POWER LINES (2 LINES APPROXIMATELY 15-20 FEET OFF THE GROUND) WHICH THEY HAD NOT SEEN UNTIL THEN.
THE FRONT SEAT PILOT REPORTED LEVELING OFF AND BEGINING A LEFT TURN AROUND THE CROP CIRCLE BEFORE SEEING THE POWER LINES.
BOTH STATEMENTS WENT ON TO SAY THEY TRIED TO TURN LEFT AWAY FROM THE POWER LINES WHEN THE WHEELS HIT THE TOP WIRE WHICH RESULTED IN A VERTICAL DIVE INTO THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.