- Date
- August 11, 2020, 19:31 local (23:31 UTC)
- Place
- Casco, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N465JPPowrachute Airwolf
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- FAA report
- 20200811013619A
- Case key
- 101937
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 decision to takeoff towards known obstacles which resulted in an impact with a power line.
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
The pilot and passenger were conducting a local flight in a powered parachute from a grass field. The pilot elected to take off to the north-northwest to take advantage of the light wind from that direction instead of taking off to the northeast with a light crosswind. The pilot was aware of trees and powerlines on the departure route to the northwest but thought he could turn left after takeoff to avoid the obstructions. The powered parachute did not climb as quickly as usual during the left turn so the pilot turned back to the right thinking he could parallel the power lines. The powered parachute did not turn as quickly as expected and continued to climb toward the power lines. The pilot thought he had cleared the power lines, but the parachute impacted the static wire above the power lines, which collapsed the parachute, and the airframe fell to the ground. The airframe sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the powered parachute that contributed to the accident and said he should have taken off to the northeast and accepted the light crosswind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N465JP
- Reported as
- Powrachute Airwolf (912)
- Category
- Powered parachute, amateur-built
- Serial number
- A165ULS
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 382
- Engine
- Honda Viking 110, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special)
- Departed
- NA · Casco, MI
- Destination
- NA · Casco, MI
- Airport
- NA · Private
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 520 total · 147 in this make and model · 281 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F
- Observed at
- KMTC
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.9 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.