20220512006849I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Powrachute Airwolf 912ULS · Plymouth, NH · May 12, 2022

Date: May 12, 2022 · 08:45 local
Place: Plymouth, NH
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N9251K
Reported as: Powrachute Airwolf 912ULS
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 15 total

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.

The pilot was flying north over the pemigewasset river in Plymouth, NH when he encountered high tension power lines in his path of flight. He stated that he did not have the altitude to successfully climb to clear the lines and decided then to descend and fly under them. During the descent he realized he was about to hit the water and decided to land the aircraft on the river bank. The aircraft landed hard in brush along the west side of the river. The only damage evident was to the prop tip from contact with brush.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS FLYING NORTH OVER THE PEMIGEWASSET RIVER IN PLYMOUTH, NH WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED HIGH TENSION POWER LINES IN HIS PATH OF FLIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE ALTITUDE TO SUCCESSFULLY CLIMB TO CLEAR THE LINES AND DECIDED THEN TO DESCEND AND FLY UNDER THEM. DURING THE DESCENT HE REALIZED HE WAS ABOUT TO HIT THE WATER AND DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RIVER BANK. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD IN BRUSH ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIVER. THE ONLY DAMAGE EVIDENT WAS TO THE PROP TIP FROM CONTACT WITH BRUSH.