20231122018429A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Georgetown, KY · November 22, 2023

Date
November 22, 2023 · 19:30 local
Place
Georgetown, KY
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
Ultralight vehicle (Part 103)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1

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 take-off, pilot of a paramotor left the ground with a strong crosswind. At approximately 5 feet AGL, crosswind caused right wing to lower, left wing to rise and tip of left wing contacted the limb of a tree located adjacent to field where take-off was made. Upon contact between the wing tip and tree limb, control of the air vehicle was lost and paramotor abruptly plunged to the ground. Pilot sustained a broken ankle and foot and a fractured pelvis. The pilot was not certificated.

As the FAA filed it

ON TAKE-OFF, PILOT OF A PARAMOTOR LEFT THE GROUND WITH A STRONG CROSSWIND. AT APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET AGL, CROSSWIND CAUSED RIGHT WING TO LOWER, LEFT WING TO RISE AND TIP OF LEFT WING CONTACTED THE LIMB OF A TREE LOCATED ADJACENT TO FIELD WHERE TAKE-OFF WAS MADE. UPON CONTACT BETWEEN THE WING TIP AND TREE LIMB, CONTROL OF THE AIR VEHICLE WAS LOST AND PARAMOTOR ABRUPTLY PLUNGED TO THE GROUND. PILOT SUSTAINED A BROKEN ANKLE AND FOOT AND A FRACTURED PELVIS. THE PILOT WAS NOT CERTIFICATED.