- Date
- December 28, 2008, 08:50 local (13:50 UTC)
- Place
- Grant, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6068EBuckeye Dream Machine
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081228857359A
- Case key
- 73194
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 clearance from the wire.
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 pilot of the powered parachute was flying at an altitude of 500 feet above ground level when he elected to descend to identify an object he observed on a road. After descending over the roadway and identifying the object as "black cloth of some sort," the pilot noticed an overhead cable that appeared to be "fast approaching." The pilot maintained a low altitude; however, the top of the canopy collided with the unmarked wire. The aircraft swung upward, descended, and impacted the ground. The left main landing gear collapsed and several airframe braces were substantially damaged.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Buckeye Dream Machine powered-parachute was flying at an altitude of 500 feet above ground level, when he elected to descend to identify an object he observed on a road. After descending over the roadway and identifying the object as "black cloth of some sort," the pilot noticed a "fast approaching" cable that was stretched overhead. The pilot maintained a low altitude; however, the top of the canopy collided with an unmarked wire. The aircraft swung upward, descended, and impacted the ground. The left main landing gear collapsed and several airframe braces were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6068E
- Reported as
- Buckeye Dream Machine
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- 4332
- Engine
- Rotax 582DCDI, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- X59 · Valkaria, FL
- Destination
- X26 · Sebastian, FL
- Airport
- X59 · Valkaria Airport
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 452 total · 452 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB, 13 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.