OpenAirDocs.org

20191228018519I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Mount Sinai, NY · December 28, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
December 28, 2019 · 12:00 local
Place
Mount Sinai, NY
Airport
Na
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
400 total350 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days

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.

Arrived onscene to find a miniplane top 80 paraglider backpack style glider hanging from a powerline pole. The PIC indicated he had departed cedar beach earlier in the day and flew eastward to cliffs near sound beach. He was working with students freegliding (no motor) off the cliffs. When he finished with the students he motored back to cedar beach. With the wind coming from the north he intended to land on the beach heading north. He was positioning himself on a downwind entry. While over the parking lot adjacent to the beach he stated he initiated his turn to final too late and the wind pushed him into the power lines. He stated he could have done a wing over but would have spun into the ground so accepting hitting the lines was the best option. There was minimal damage to the kite and strings. The backpack mount motor itself had one broken frame point and a cracked propeller but was otherwise unharmed. The airman and unit itself were in compliance with 14 CFR part 103. There are no local ordinances against such an operation. Airman was counseled on proper judgement of wind, speed, and remaining landing distance when conducting a "circle to land" maneuver.

As the FAA filed it

ARRIVED ONSCENE TO FIND A MINIPLANE TOP 80 PARAGLIDER BACKPACK STYLE GLIDER HANGING FROM A POWERLINE POLE. THE PIC INDICATED HE HAD DEPARTED CEDAR BEACH EARLIER IN THE DAY AND FLEW EASTWARD TO CLIFFS NEAR SOUND BEACH. HE WAS WORKING WITH STUDENTS FREEGLIDING (NO MOTOR) OFF THE CLIFFS. WHEN HE FINISHED WITH THE STUDENTS HE MOTORED BACK TO CEDAR BEACH. WITH THE WIND COMING FROM THE NORTH HE INTENDED TO LAND ON THE BEACH HEADING NORTH. HE WAS POSITIONING HIMSELF ON A DOWNWIND ENTRY. WHILE OVER THE PARKING LOT ADJACENT TO THE BEACH HE STATED HE INITIATED HIS TURN TO FINAL TOO LATE AND THE WIND PUSHED HIM INTO THE POWER LINES. HE STATED HE COULD HAVE DONE A WING OVER BUT WOULD HAVE SPUN INTO THE GROUND SO ACCEPTING HITTING THE LINES WAS THE BEST OPTION. THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE KITE AND STRINGS. THE BACKPACK MOUNT MOTOR ITSELF HAD ONE BROKEN FRAME POINT AND A CRACKED PROPELLER BUT WAS OTHERWISE UNHARMED. THE AIRMAN AND UNIT ITSELF WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH 14 CFR PART 103. THERE ARE NO LOCAL ORDINANCES AGAINST SUCH AN OPERATION. AIRMAN WAS COUNSELED ON PROPER JUDGEMENT OF WIND, SPEED, AND REMAINING LANDING DISTANCE WHEN CONDUCTING A "CIRCLE TO LAND" MANEUVER.