- Date
- July 2, 2012, 06:50 local (10:50 UTC)
- Place
- Hamburg, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- UNREGSix Chutter SKY Writer 2
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 7, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Rodchester FSDO
- Case key
- 84416
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 operation of a powered parachute by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the non-certificated pilot’s loss of aircraft control while landing.
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 non-certificated pilot stated that he purchased the unregistered powered parachute on the internet. He stated that he practiced taxiing in the grass beside the runway at a private airport for 15 to 20 minutes at a time and that he would occasionally fly the powered parachute about 5 feet off of the ground and set it back down in the grass. No one witnessed the accident, and the powered parachute was found in the grass beside the runway partially inverted with the pilot inside. The pilot reported to the responding local law enforcement officer that he was attempting to land the aircraft and did not know what had caused the crash. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the undercarriage frame and engine mounts. The pilot did not keep a pilot log book, had received no flight training, and stated that he had not experienced any mechanical issues with the powered parachute.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he purchased the unregistered powered parachute on the internet. He stated he practiced taxiing in the grass beside the runway at a private airport for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and that during that time, he would occasionally fly the powered parachute about 5 feet off of the ground and set it back down in the grass. No one witnessed the accident, and the powered parachute was found at the scene inverted with the pilot inside. Postaccident inspection revealed substantial damage to the undercarriage frame and engine mounts. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident site stated that the pilot held no pilot certificate and that the pilot could not produce maintenance records for the powered parachute. The pilot further stated that he was unsure if any maintenance records existed. The pilot did not keep a pilot log book, had received no flight training, and stated that he had not experienced any mechanical issues with the powered parachute.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Six Chutter SKY Writer 2
- Category
- Powered parachute, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 97-1727-2
- Airframe hours
- 26
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- 4G2 · Hamburg, NY
- Destination
- 4G2 · Hamburg, NY
- Airport
- 4G2 · Hamburg Inc. Airport
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KBUF, 16 nm away
Docket · 9
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.8 MB in all.