- Date
- June 15, 2020, 20:50 local (Jun 16, 2020, 00:50 UTC)
- Place
- Frankfort, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Prior to flight
- Aircraft
- UNREGDestiny XLT
- Defining event
- Prior to flight: Preflight or dispatch event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards
- Case key
- 101446
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 inadequate preflight inspection of the powered parachute, which resulted in his takeoff with twisted riser lines and impaired aircraft control.
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 upon lifting off in the powered parachute, he noticed two riser lines were twisted which impaired his ability to control the aircraft. The aircraft subsequently struck a tree and sustained minor damage while the pilot was attempting to land. The pilot was seriously injured. He noted that completing a better parachute layout during his preflight inspection might have prevented the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Destiny XLT
- Category
- Powered parachute, amateur-built
- Serial number
- BR3859
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 140
- Engine
- Rotax 582 DCDI, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 19, 2016
- Departed
- Frankfort, OH
- Destination
- Frankfort, OH
- Equipment
- None
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2 total · 2 in this make and model · 2 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- RZT, 12 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 12.4 MB in all.