- Date
- March 31, 2014, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Smithville, TX
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- UNREGBuckeye Industries Dream Machine
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 1, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Case key
- 89000
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 operation of an aircraft by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the non-certificated pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control on take-off in gusty wind conditions.
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 non-certificated pilot was attempting to take off in his unregistered powered-parachute to the south when a gust of wind caught the parachute before it had fully inflated. The pilot said the engine was running but he was unable to control the aircraft and collided with a tree. He and his passenger were both seriously injured. Weather reported at an airport 32 miles northwest of the accident was wind from 170 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 24 knots.
Factual narrative
The non-certificated pilot was attempting to take off in his unregistered powered-parachute to the south when a gust of wind caught the parachute before it had fully inflated. The pilot said the engine was running but he was unable to control the aircraft and collided with a tree. He and his passenger were both seriously injured. Weather reported at an airport 32 miles northwest of the accident was wind from 170 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 24 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Buckeye Industries Dream Machine (Trike)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- unk
- Engine
- UNK UNK, unknown
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Terry D. Brewer
- Registered owner
- Terry D. Brewer
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Departed
- Smithville, TX
- Destination
- Smithville, TX
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- Serious
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 15 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- AUS, 32 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 15, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 288 KB in all.