- Date
- September 29, 2012, 15:58 local (19:58 UTC)
- Place
- North Huntingdon, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Other
- Aircraft
- N7508DBuckeye 582 Dream Machine
- Defining event
- Other: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FSDO-Allegheny
- FAA report
- 20120929026629A
- Case key
- 85237
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 noncertificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the climb following an aborted 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 noncertificated pilot was attempting to land a powered parachute in a field bordered on one side by trees and a residence on the other. Following two unsuccessful landing attempts, the pilot aborted a third landing attempt about 20 feet above the ground. During the climb, the powered parachute drifted to the right toward the trees. The pilot was unable to stop the drift with application of full left pedal and struck a tree. The pilot then increased the engine power to full, but the powered parachute continued to descend and impacted another tree. The parachute subsequently caught one of the tree limbs and fell straight down. The powered parachute impacted the ground on all three wheels, resulting in substantial damage to the undercarriage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation and stated that he should not have tried to land without the aid of a windsock and indicated wind direction.
Factual narrative
The non-certificated pilot was attempting to land a powered parachute in a field. The field was bordered on one side by trees, and a residence on the other. Following two previous unsuccessful landing attempts, the pilot aborted a third landing attempt about 20 feet above the ground. During the climb the powered parachute drifted to the right toward the trees. The pilot was unable to stop the drift with application of full left pedal and struck a tree. The pilot then increased the engine power to full but the powered parachute continued to descend and impacted another tree. The parachute subsequently caught one of the tree limbs and fell straight down. The powered parachute impacted the ground on all three wheels, resulting in substantial damage to the undercarriage. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would preclude normal operations, and stated that he should not have tried to land without the aid of a windsock and indicated wind direction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7508D
- Reported as
- Buckeye 582 Dream Machine
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- 4680
- Airframe hours
- 214
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Stokes
- Registered owner
- James Stokes
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · May 8, 2008
- Departed
- West Newton, PA
- Destination
- West Newton, PA
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
- 55
- Injuries
- Minor
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KAGC, 9 nm away
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.7 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.