What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 29, 2018 at 1956 eastern daylight time, a Hughes Aero Corp predator ?c? 2-place powered parachute, N369SL, registered to and operated by a sport pilot, received minor damage when it impacted a tree on takeoff. The accident occurred at the pilot?s residence near Copemish, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and mild winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger both received serious injuries. The local flight originated from a pasture at the pilots residence.
According to witnesses, the pilot was giving the passenger an introductory flight in hopes of selling the aircraft to the passenger. During the takeoff from the 600-foot un-mowed grass strip, the aircraft became airborne but would not climb above 10 feet. The aircraft impacted a tree approximately 20 feet left of center line and 40 feet from the edge of the pasture area. Following impact the parachute settled into the treetop. Emergency services were called and responded. The pilot was air medevacked to a local hospital while the passenger was transported by ground ambulance. Upon investigation, the complete aircraft was found upright with its right side against the base of a 25 foot tree. Minor damage to the front landing gear, instrument cluster, and steering control were noted. Engine and propeller were undamaged and fuel was noted in the tank and all fuel lines. Engine compression was noted in both cylinders by propeller pull through. All control lines appeared to be connected and intact. Scrape marks were found on the tree trunk approximately 2 feet from the ground with a number of smaller branches broken above that point. No aircraft records have been located at this time. A 2015 aerial photograph of the pilot?s property showed a mowed 600-foot runway with a nw-se orientation. At the time of the accident no runway could be detected on the property as the grass was 6-12 inches tall and appeared unused but for the accident flight.
Weather report at ktvc airport at 2353 UTC was: wind 300 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear, temp 26 dew point 16 and altimeter 29.88.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 29, 2018 AT 1956 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HUGHES AERO CORP PREDATOR ?C? 2-PLACE POWERED PARACHUTE, N369SL, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A SPORT PILOT, RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED A TREE ON TAKEOFF. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE PILOT?S RESIDENCE NEAR COPEMISH, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND MILD WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER BOTH RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PASTURE AT THE PILOTS RESIDENCE.
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT WAS GIVING THE PASSENGER AN INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT IN HOPES OF SELLING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE PASSENGER. DURING THE TAKEOFF FROM THE 600-FOOT UN-MOWED GRASS STRIP, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE BUT WOULD NOT CLIMB ABOVE 10 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TREE APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET LEFT OF CENTER LINE AND 40 FEET FROM THE EDGE OF THE PASTURE AREA. FOLLOWING IMPACT THE PARACHUTE SETTLED INTO THE TREETOP. EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE CALLED AND RESPONDED. THE PILOT WAS AIR MEDEVACKED TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WHILE THE PASSENGER WAS TRANSPORTED BY GROUND AMBULANCE. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE COMPLETE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND UPRIGHT WITH ITS RIGHT SIDE AGAINST THE BASE OF A 25 FOOT TREE. MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT LANDING GEAR, INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, AND STEERING CONTROL WERE NOTED. ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE UNDAMAGED AND FUEL WAS NOTED IN THE TANK AND ALL FUEL LINES. ENGINE COMPRESSION WAS NOTED IN BOTH CYLINDERS BY PROPELLER PULL THROUGH. ALL CONTROL LINES APPEARED TO BE CONNECTED AND INTACT. SCRAPE MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE TREE TRUNK APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET FROM THE GROUND WITH A NUMBER OF SMALLER BRANCHES BROKEN ABOVE THAT POINT. NO AIRCRAFT RECORDS HAVE BEEN LOCATED AT THIS TIME. A 2015 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE PILOT?S PROPERTY SHOWED A MOWED 600-FOOT RUNWAY WITH A NW-SE ORIENTATION. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT NO RUNWAY COULD BE DETECTED ON THE PROPERTY AS THE GRASS WAS 6-12 INCHES TALL AND APPEARED UNUSED BUT FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
WEATHER REPORT AT KTVC AIRPORT AT 2353 UTC WAS: WIND 300 DEGREES AT 3 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR, TEMP 26 DEW POINT 16 AND ALTIMETER 29.88.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.