- Date
- September 23, 2013, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- St. Joseph, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6122FBuckeye Industries Dream Machine
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 3, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - South Bend FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130923017719A
- Case key
- 88119
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 control of the powered-parachute during takeoff.
Findings · 2
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 pilot reported that the accident occurred as he was attempting a northbound takeoff from a private grass airstrip. During the takeoff roll, the powered-parachute encountered a "mild" wind gust from the east that partially collapsed the right side of the parachute. The pilot corrected by making a slight left turn, but the powered-parachute became airborne with the right side of the parachute still underinflated. The powered-parachute descended back to the airstrip, bounced, and then yawed left after becoming airborne a second time. The pilot reported that he overcorrected for the yaw and that the fuselage cart swung to the right. The pilot decided to abort the takeoff while the powered-parachute was about 6 feet above the airstrip. The powered-parachute impacted the ground nose first before it rolled over. The pilot reported no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the powered-parachute that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
On September 23, 2013, at 1845 eastern daylight time, a Buckeye Industries model Dream Machine powered-parachute, N6122F, was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff from a private airstrip near St. Joseph, Michigan. The sport pilot was not injured, but his passenger was seriously injured. The powered-parachute was registered to and operated by the pilot, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal, local-area flight that was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that the accident occurred as he was attempting a northbound takeoff from a private airstrip (2,350 feet by 40 feet, grass). The pilot stated that during the takeoff roll the powered-parachute encountered a "mild" wind gust from the east that partially collapsed the right side of the parachute. The pilot corrected by making a slight left turn, but the powered-parachute became airborne with the right side of the parachute still underinflated. The powered-parachute descended back to the airstrip, bounced, and then yawed left after becoming airborne a second time. The pilot reported that he overcorrected for the yaw and the fuselage cart swung to the right. The pilot decided to abort the takeoff while the powered-parachute was about 6 feet above the airstrip. The powered-parachute impacted terrain nose first before it rolled over. The pilot reported no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the powered-parachute that would have prevented normal operation. The steel tube cart was substantially damaged during the impact sequence and the passenger sustained a fracture of his left fibula. The nearest aviation weather reporting station was located at Southwest Michigan Regional Airport (BEH), Benton Harbor, Michigan, about 7 miles north of the accident site. At 1853, the BEH automated surface observing system reported: wind from 110 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 18 degrees Celsius, dew point 8 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.07 inches of Mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6122F
- Reported as
- Buckeye Industries Dream Machine
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- 3796997
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 250
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 52 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · May 8, 2013
- Departed
- PVT · St. Joseph, MI
- Destination
- PVT · St. Joseph, MI
- Airport
- PVT · Private Airstrip, runway 36, 2,350 × 40 ft, 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- October 8, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 250 in this make and model · 250 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- BEH, 7 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 18, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 757 KB 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.