# NTSB DFW07CA079: Buckeye Breeze XL, N582W, Buffalo City, AR, February 21, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: February 21, 2007, 15:35 local (21:35 UTC) - Place: Buffalo City, AR - Coordinates: 36.203334, -92.452224 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2033&lon=-92.4522&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report May 29, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Little Rock, Arkansas - NTSB case key (mKey): 65354 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DFW07CA079 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65354/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW07CA079 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft during approach. A contributing factor was the reported encounter with severe turbulence. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, approach - weather condition - turbulence (contributing factor) - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - open field ## Analysis The 72-hour sport pilot initiated a descent to an open field where he intended to perform a touch and go landing on his registered powered parachute. The pilot, who reported having accumulated a total of 4 hours in the same make and model was seriously injured. The 15-statute mile flight was planned as a flight of two Rotax 582 powered parachutes. The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) that he had "no memory of the flight;" however, a witness who was flying the other powered parachute, stated that the accident pilot was flying approximately 100 feet above the ground while maneuvering to land, when "he encountered severe turbulence causing the powered parachute to go into a tight spiral." The parachute impacted the ground at a high rate of descent, which was described to be "approximately 40 miles per hour descent rate." The weather at the nearest weather reporting station located approximately 9 miles to the northwest of the accident site, reported the wind from the east-northeast at 6 miles per hour, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, and a barometric pressure setting of 29.93 inches of Mercury. ## Factual narrative The 72-hour sport pilot initiated a descent to an open field where he intended to perform a touch and go landing on his registered powered parachute. While at 100 feet above the ground, the powered parachute encountered severe turbulence and the powered parachute entered an uncontrolled tight spiraling descent from which the pilot was unable to recover. The pilot, who reported having accumulated a total of 4 hours in the same make and model was seriously injured. The 15-statute mile flight was planned as a flight of two Rotax 582 powered parachutes. The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) that he had "no memory of the flight;" however, a witness who was flying the other powered parachute, was able to describe the accident sequence. The witness stated that the accident pilot was flying approximately 100 feet above the ground while maneuvering to land, when "he encountered severe turbulence causing the powered parachute to go into a tight spiral." The parachute impacted the ground at a high rate of descent, which was described to be "approximately 40 miles per hour descent rate." The weather at the nearest weather reporting station located approximately 9 miles to the northwest of the accident site, reported the wind from the east-northeast at 6 miles per hour, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, and barometric pressure setting of 29.93 inches of Mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N582W](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N582W-2022-07-30), registration cancelled 2022-07-30, S/N 16368, built 2003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Buckeye Breeze XL - Registry model: [Buckeye BREEZE XL](https://openairdocs.org/model/buckeye-breeze-xl) (registry code 05901YA) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 582DCDI](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582dcdi) (registry code 55562, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Powered-lift - Serial number: 16368 - Airframe hours: 88 - Engines: Rotax 582 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, November 1, 2006 - Departed: Mountain Home, AR - Destination: Buffalo City, AR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 61; injuries: serious; sport pilot; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot, without waivers/limitations; seat: front; flight hours: 72 total, 4 in this make and model, 72 as pilot in command, 3 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 70° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 32 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: KFLP, 9 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20070221001949A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070221001949A), Feb 21, 2007: Buckey BREEZEXL, Buford, AR, Destroyed. (-23) On 02/21/2007 approximately 15:35 CST a buckeye breeze-lx, N582W, a FAA registered power parachute on a pleasure flight by the pilot [privacy data… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.