20200811013619A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Powrachute AIRWOLF 912 ULS · Casco, MI · August 11, 2020

Date: August 11, 2020 · 07:25 local
Place: Casco, MI
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N465JP
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN20CA387
Reported as: Powrachute Airwolf 912 ULS
Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 520 total147 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N465JPRegistered now · Powrachute AIRWOLF 912 ULSS/N A165ULS · Built 2012 Airframe modelPowrachute AIRWOLF 912 ULS Engine modelRotax 912ULS series4 cycle

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 11 August 2020 at approximately 7:25 EST. The pilot departed the field of a local friend to take his granddaughter for a ride in his power parachute. The pilot stated as he departed into the wind it appeared that he was not climbing out as quickly as usual. Pilot stated rather then try to continue his left turn in a climb due to concerns with the tree line. He then turned right in hopes of bringing the aircraft around and above a set of high tension power lines. As he climbed he thought he had cleared the lines when suddenly the top static line that he could not see above his chute hit the chute, deflating it and sending the aircraft in a free fall to the ground approximately 100 feet.

The pilot stated that he and his granddaughter were both transported to mcclaren macomb hospital in Mt. Clemens. His granddaughter checked out fine but he was found to have multiple fractures to his spine and tail bone.

As the FAA filed it

ON 11 AUGUST 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:25 EST. THE PILOT DEPARTED THE FIELD OF A LOCAL FRIEND TO TAKE HIS GRANDDAUGHTER FOR A RIDE IN HIS POWER PARACHUTE. THE PILOT STATED AS HE DEPARTED INTO THE WIND IT APPEARED THAT HE WAS NOT CLIMBING OUT AS QUICKLY AS USUAL. PILOT STATED RATHER THEN TRY TO CONTINUE HIS LEFT TURN IN A CLIMB DUE TO CONCERNS WITH THE TREE LINE. HE THEN TURNED RIGHT IN HOPES OF BRINGING THE AIRCRAFT AROUND AND ABOVE A SET OF HIGH TENSION POWER LINES. AS HE CLIMBED HE THOUGHT HE HAD CLEARED THE LINES WHEN SUDDENLY THE TOP STATIC LINE THAT HE COULD NOT SEE ABOVE HIS CHUTE HIT THE CHUTE, DEFLATING IT AND SENDING THE AIRCRAFT IN A FREE FALL TO THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET.

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE AND HIS GRANDDAUGHTER WERE BOTH TRANSPORTED TO MCCLAREN MACOMB HOSPITAL IN MT. CLEMENS. HIS GRANDDAUGHTER CHECKED OUT FINE BUT HE WAS FOUND TO HAVE MULTIPLE FRACTURES TO HIS SPINE AND TAIL BONE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN20CA387Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · Data collectionFinal reportCasco, MIThe pilot's decision to takeoff towards known obstacles which resulted in an impact with a power line.Aug 11, 2020 · Substantial damage