- Date
- October 16, 2014, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Branson, MO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Other
- Aircraft
- N912AMHughes Aero Predator
- Defining event
- Other: Unknown or undetermined
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20141016020829A
- Case key
- 90456
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 aircraft control when executing a landing with a tailwind, resulting in impact with a retaining wall.
Findings · 4
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
According to the sport pilot, following an hour long personal flight in the experimental light sport powered parachute, he made an off airfield approach to an open field next to his home. He reported that he established a normal approach to the field and lost control of the powered parachute during the landing. He reported that the powered parachute impacted a retaining wall that stood between the field and his home. The powered parachute sustained substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the powered parachute prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation. The FAA aviation safety inspector assigned to the accident reported that the pilot had a habit of landing in the open field next to his home. During the accident approach, the pilot made the approach with a tail wind and then attempted to abort the landing. However, the pilot was unable to establish a climb and the powered parachute impacted a retaining wall that separated the open field and the pilot's home.
Factual narrative
According to the sport pilot, following an hour long personal flight in the experimental light sport powered parachute, he made an off airfield approach to an open field next to his home. He reported that he established a normal approach to the field and lost control of the powered parachute during the landing. He reported that the powered parachute impacted a retaining wall that stood between the field and his home. The powered parachute sustained substantial damage to the airframe. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the powered parachute prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation. The FAA aviation safety inspector assigned to the accident reported that the pilot had a habit of landing in the open field next to his home. During the accident approach, the pilot made the approach with a tail wind and then attempted to abort the landing. However, the pilot was unable to establish a climb and the powered parachute impacted a retaining wall that separated the open field and the pilot's home.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N912AM
- Reported as
- Hughes Aero Predator (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- PC03079XW3
- Built
- 2007
- Engine
- Rotax 912, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Branson, MO
- Destination
- Branson, MO
- Equipment
- Airframe parachute
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 300 total · 300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- KBBG, 14 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 5, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 323 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.