- Date
- July 15, 2012, 20:29 local (Jul 16, 2012, 00:29 UTC)
- Place
- Wilmore, KY
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5627GInfinity Infinity 2003
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of lift
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Louisville FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120715015539A
- Case key
- 84356
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
A loss of lift on initial climb for unreported reasons, which resulted in a collision with trees and the ground.
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 taking off and stated that he advanced the throttle to about two-thirds power and that the parachute “went from left to right.” He decreased the throttle, and the parachute stopped oscillating and “kitted up” correctly. He increased power and they became airborne in a slow climb about 30 mph and were approaching a tree line. The aircraft was not achieving lift, so he maneuvered the aircraft toward a cut in the trees. The nose of the airframe collided with the trees. He added power to level the airframe, and they collided with the ground. The aircraft sustained minor damage; the pilot and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot stated that he may have encountered a downdraft. The nearest airport to the crash site was located 15 miles to the northeast and the wind there was reported as calm. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal aircraft operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated he advanced the throttle to about two-thirds and the parachute went from left to right. He decreased the throttle and the parachute stopped oscillating and kitted up correctly. He increased power and they became airborne in a slow climb at about 30 mph. He observed a tree line to his front. The aircraft was not achieving any lift so he maneuvered the aircraft towards a cut in the trees. The nose of the airframe collided with the trees. He added power to level the airframe and they collided with the ground hard. The aircraft sustained minor damage. Both the pilot and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The pilot stated he may have encountered a downdraft. The nearest airport to the crash site was located 15 miles to the northeast. The winds at the airport were reported as calm. The pilot reported no pre-crash mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations before the accident. The reported loss of lift was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5627G
- Reported as
- Infinity Infinity 2003
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- IPP3-191
- Airframe hours
- 186
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Ferrell Charles Steven
- Registered owner
- Ferrell Charles Steven
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 8, 2011 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- Wilmore, KY
- Destination
- Wilmore, KY
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
- 53
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Last flight review
- October 8, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 139 total · 127 in this make and model · 127 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- LEX, 15 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.