- Date
- October 6, 2008, 07:19 local (12:19 UTC)
- Place
- Branson, MO
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N868SHolmes William E Predator
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20081006848299A
- Case key
- 69316
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Contributing to the accident was the wing's failure to open all cells for undetermined reasons and the trees near the runway.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot was taking off from a grass field in a powered parachute when all cells of the wing did not fully open, causing the aircraft to veer right. All cells of the wing then inflated and the aircraft became airborne. Shortly after takeoff the pilot hit a tree and impacted the ground. The cart frame was bent and the pilot sustained serious injuries.
Factual narrative
The student pilot was taking off from a grass field in a powered parachute when all cells of the wing did not fully open, causing the aircraft to veer right. All cells of the wing then inflated and the aircraft became airborne. Shortly after takeoff the pilot hit a tree and impacted the ground. The cart frame was bent and the pilot sustained serious injuries.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N868S
- Reported as
- Holmes William E Predator
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- E068S
- Airframe hours
- 40
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Registration Pending
- Registered owner
- Registration Pending
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Departed
- N/A · Branson, MO
- Destination
- N/A · Branson, MO
- Airport
- N/A · Private Field, runway 06, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 30 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- khro
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.