- Date
- August 27, 2012, 19:45 local (Aug 28, 2012, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Luling, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N554EPowrachute Pegasus
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO San Antonio
- FAA report
- 20120827019649A
- Case key
- 85025
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
Collision with a powerline resulting from the pilot's not maintaining adequate clearance while on a day VFR approach to land.
Findings · 1
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 sport pilot was making a day VFR approach to land his powered parachute on a friend’s private property. At the very last moment, he saw a power line directly in front of his final approach path. The pilot tried to land short of the power line because he did not have enough altitude to go over the lines. When the airframe (cart) was only a few feet above the ground, the parachute hit the power line. The parachute caught on the power line and the cart swung forward and to the right and hit the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the right underside of the frame. Both the pilot and his passenger exited the cart uninjured. The pilot reported that he had about 50 total flight hours in powered parachute aircraft.
Factual narrative
The sport pilot was making a day VFR approach to land his powered parachute on a friend’s private property. At the very last moment, he saw a power line directly in front of his final approach path. The pilot tried to land short of the power line because he did not have enough altitude to go over the lines. When the airframe (cart) was only a few feet above the ground, the parachute hit the power line. The parachute caught on the power line and the cart swung forward and to the right and hit the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the right underside of the frame. Both the pilot and his passenger exited the cart uninjured. The pilot reported that he had about 50 total flight hours in powered parachute aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N554E
- Reported as
- Powrachute Pegasus
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- A 053 PEG
- Airframe hours
- 208
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Galle Barton C
- Registered owner
- Galle Barton C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- Luling, TX
- Destination
- Luling, TX
- Airport
- T91 · Carter Memorial Airport
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 50 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- RND, 34 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 19, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.