- Date
- October 14, 2014, 19:47 local (23:47 UTC)
- Place
- Fairview, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- UNREGSix Chuter SR7 XL
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Case key
- 90339
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 non-certificated pilot's delayed go-around procedure, which resulted in collision with trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of total flying experience.
Findings · 5
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/owner reported that he was self-taught in his unregistered powered parachute, as he believed it was an "unregulated machine" and had performed 10 flights prior to the accident flight. The pilot stated that he was flying in the evening, it was getting dark, and he feared he would not return to his home airstrip before complete darkness so he decided to perform a precautionary landing in a field. Due to the decreased visibility, and the field conditions, he felt his approach angle was too steep, and initiated a go-around; however, the powered parachute was unable to out-climb the trees at the departure end of the field. The subsequent collision with trees and terrain resulted in substantial damage to the airframe, and serious injury to the pilot/owner, who reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the powered parachute that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The non-certificated pilot/owner reported that he was self-taught in his unregistered powered parachute, as he believed it was an "unregulated machine" and had performed 10 flights prior to the accident flight. The pilot stated that he was flying in the evening, it was getting dark, and he feared he would not return to his home airstrip before complete darkness so he decided to perform a precautionary landing in a field. Due to the decreased visibility, and the field conditions, he felt his approach angle was too steep, and initiated a go-around; however, the powered parachute was unable to out-climb the trees at the departure end of the field. The subsequent collision with trees and terrain resulted in substantial damage to the airframe, and serious injury to the pilot/owner, who reported there were no mechanical deficiencies with the powered parachute that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Six Chuter SR7 XL
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- 98-2052
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul Dowdey
- Registered owner
- Paul Dowdey
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Departed
- Stanfield, NC
- Destination
- Stanfield, NC
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- Serious
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 10 total · 10 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KEQY, 12 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 29, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.