# NTSB ERA17FA211: Buckeye Powered Parachutes Dream Machine 582, N50130, Federalsburg, MD, June 25, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: June 25, 2017, 09:06 local (13:06 UTC) - Place: Federalsburg, MD - Coordinates: 38.711666, -75.830558 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7117&lon=-75.8306&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal - Status: Completed, report November 5, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 95429 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA17FA211 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95429/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95429 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA211 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with power lines. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in powered parachutes. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md?model=05901G0), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: wire](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Awareness of condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md?model=05901G0), [All aircraft, 588 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md?model=05901G0), [All aircraft, 1,269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md) - [Experience/qualifications: total experience w/ equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025/cases.md?model=05901G0), [All aircraft, 269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031025/cases.md) - [Experience/qualifications: recent experience w/ equipment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031045): Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031045/cases.md?model=05901G0), [All aircraft, 31 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02031045/cases.md) - [Health/Fitness: use of medication/drugs](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02013020): Personnel issues › Physical · Pilot; cases with it: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02013020/cases.md?model=05901G0), [All aircraft, 73 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02013020/cases.md) - [Health/Fitness: predisposing condition](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02013035): Personnel issues › Physical · Pilot; cases with it: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02013035/cases.md?model=05901G0), [All aircraft, 56 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02013035/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120) (defining event); cases with it: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence.md?model=05901G0), [All aircraft, 1,074 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence.md) ## Analysis The commercial pilot was making his first solo flight in a powered parachute from his turf airstrip. After liftoff, the pilot added power, and the aircraft climbed to about 35 ft above ground level in a continuous left turn until it collided with power line wires that paralleled the airstrip. Postaccident examination of the airframe and a test run of the engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot had diabetes and heart disease; however, it is unlikely that these conditions or the treating medications contributed to the accident. Toxicology testing detected two potentially impairing medications, the antidepressant paroxetine and the central nervous system depressant anticonvulsant/anti-tremor medication primidone. The investigation was unable to determine if the effects of the pilot's depression or the medications paroxetine and primidone impaired the pilot's decision making or contributed to the accident. A review of the pilot's logbooks revealed a single entry for an instructional flight of 1.2 hours in a powered parachute, 6 hours of ground instruction on powered parachutes, and no solo endorsement for powered parachutes. The logged ground and flight instruction occurred about 1 year before the accident, so it is likely that the pilot's lack of both recent and total experience in powered parachutes contributed to the accident. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 25, 2017, at 0906 eastern daylight time, an experimental light-sport Buckeye Powered Parachutes Dream Machine 582, N50130, was substantially damaged when it impacted power lines and terrain during takeoff near Federalsburg, Maryland. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The powered parachute was owned by the pilot who was operating it under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight that was originating from the pilot's private airstrip at the time of the accident. A neighbor assisted the pilot with the unfurling of the aircraft's parachute wing and watched the accident flight. He stated that it was the pilot's first solo flight in a powered parachute. According to the witness, the pilot taxied into position for takeoff to the north from the turf runway designated as runway15/33. The pilot "gave more throttle" after liftoff, and the aircraft turned left. The aircraft climbed to about 35 ft above ground level, turned about 60° to the left, and collided with a power line that was about 245 ft left of the runway centerline. The power line was located along a roadway that ran about parallel to the airstrip. According to the witness, during the entire flight, the engine sounded smooth, continuous, and "normal" with no interruption of power. The aircraft struck the wires on the near side of the roadway; the pilot was ejected; and both the pilot and the aircraft came to rest on the far side of the road. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land and instrument airplane. He also held flight and ground instructor certificates. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued March 27, 1984, and he reported 400 total hours of flight experience on that date. The medical certificate was no longer valid for operations requiring a medical certificate; at the time of the accident, the pilot was operating an aircraft that did not require a medical certificate. Examination of the pilot's logbook revealed a single entry for an instructional flight in a powered parachute; the 1.2-hour flight took place on February 22, 2016, in Dunnellon, Florida. The logbook also had entries for 6.5 hours of powered-parachute ground instruction in July 2016. There was no solo endorsement for powered parachutes in the logbook. The pilot's friend reported that the pilot had flown a powered parachute with a flight instructor once in Virginia and once more recently in New Hampshire. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The single-engine, tandem-seat, tricycle-gear powered parachute was manufactured in 1995 and was powered by a 66-horsepower Rotax 582 engine. The maintenance records for the aircraft were not located during the investigation, and the maintenance history of the aircraft could not be determined. The pilotregistered the powered parachute in October 2014. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 0845, weather conditions reported at Easton/Newnam Field Airport (ESN), Easton, Maryland, 12 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, included scattered clouds at 7,000 ft, visibility 10 statute miles, and wind from 330° at 4 knots. The temperature was 25°C; the dew point was 19°C; and the altimeter setting was 30.05 inches of mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMIPACT INFORMATION The powered parachute came to rest upright, and, except for some structural tubing and landing gear that were fractured, it remained largely intact. All structure and components of the powered parachute were accounted for at the accident site. Flight and engine control continuity were confirmed, and the engine was secure in its mounts. The parachute and lines were adjacent to the airframe. The blades of the three-bladed propeller were fractured near their roots, and the propeller hub was securely mounted to the crankshaft. All fuel lines remained connected and intact. Fuel was observed in the fuel tank, and there was no evidence of fuel leakage anywhere in the fuel system. The pilot's lap belt was found unfastened, undamaged, and unstretched. The battery was out of its tray, and the positive lead was disconnected. The aft carburetor was separated from its rubber intake manifold/mount. An FAA aviation safety inspector supervised the reinstallation of the battery to its tray and the carburetor to its mount. A test run of the engine was then performed at the accident site on the airframe. The engine started immediately, and it ran smoothly and continuously with no anomalies noted. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The Office of the Medical Examiner, Wilmington, Delaware, conducted an autopsy of the pilot. The cause of death was listed as multiple blunt force injuries. The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, conducted toxicology testing and detected the following medications: albuterol (used to treat wheezing), furosemide (used to treat fluid overload), valsartan and metoprolol (used to treat high blood pressure), warfarin (a blood thinner), pravastatin (used to treat high cholesterol) and naproxen (an over-the-counter pain medicine). None of these medications are considered impairing. Additionally, the toxicology testing detected the antidepressant paroxetine and the central nervous system depressant anticonvulsant/anti-tremor medication primidone and its metabolite phenobarbital. Due to the potentially impairing effects of paroxetine, it is not one of the FAA's approved antidepressants. Medical conditions that require treatment with primidone are often impairing as are the treating medications, and pilots with these conditions or using this medication are advised not to operate airplanes. According to the pilot's personal medical records, his active medical conditions included: adult onset diabetes treated with insulin; coronary artery disease treated with a5-vessel bypass in 2003; placement of an internal defibrillator/pacemaker in 2011 for atrial fibrillation, which was also treated with warfarin; cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure treated with furosemide and metoprolol; high blood pressure treated with valsartan; depression treated with paroxetine; elevated cholesterol treated with pravastatin; and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated with albuterol, budesonide, and formoterol. Additionally, he had a tremor treated with primidone daily since 2015. The records did not include a recent assessment of the pilot's depression or discuss any side effects from the primidone. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N50130](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N50130-2018-04-19), registration cancelled 2018-04-19, S/N 3315, built 1995 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BUCKEYE POWERED PARACHUTES INC DREAM MACHINE 582 (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [Buckeye Powered Parachutes DREAM MACHINE 582](https://openairdocs.org/model/buckeye-powered-parachutes-dream-machine-582) (registry code 05901G0) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 582SER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582ser) (registry code 55556, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Powered parachute - Serial number: 3315 - Year built: 1995 - Engines: ROTAX 582 66 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Departed: PVT, Federalsburg, MD - Destination: PVT, Federalsburg, MD - Airport: PVT, Private, runway 33, 600 × 50 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 71; injuries: fatal; private, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; seat: single; toxicology performed; flight hours: 400 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 330° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: KESN, 12 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20170625006829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170625006829A), Jun 25, 2017: Buckeye Powered Parachutes Inc DREAM MACHINE 582, Federalsburg, MD, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. The aircraft, a tricycle powered parachute, took off from a private field at the owner/pilot's residence. There was no weather reporting available locally, but… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 11, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95429. 4.2 MB in all. - Witness Statements (item 1, .PDF, 490 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467362&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Master.PDF - Photo Array (item 2, .PDF, 3 photos, 501 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467363&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array-Master.PDF - Accident Site Diagram (item 3, .PDF, 1 photo, 470 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467364&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Site%20Diagram-Master.PDF - Logbook Entries (item 4, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467365&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Logbook%20Entries-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 5, .PDF, 542 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467366&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Master.PDF - Medical Review - Factual (item 6, .PDF, 52 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467367&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Medical%20Review%20-%20Factual-Master.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 7, .PDF, 140 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40467368&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.