- Date
- July 26, 2008, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Market, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3511NBuckeye Breeze
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080726843499A
- Case key
- 68537
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 student pilot's failure to consider the aircraft's performance for the takeoff.
Findings · 1
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
According to the student pilot, he went to a friend's farm field for a pleasure flight in his powered parachute. He took off about 1610 for a solo flight in the local area with no problems. Upon landing, a friend indicated that he would like to go for a flight. The student pilot did not see a problem with this and proceeded to take off with the passenger. The student pilot said that "unfortunately, I made an error in judgment, in reference to the length and preparation of the field and did not clear the trees at the end of the field." The aircraft crashed into the trees at the end of the runway. The student pilot further stated that "this accident could have been prevented had I not made a judgment error as to the length, condition [and] type of field used for takeoff. The field was not of sufficient length to get airborne [and] was a non improved farm field with obstacles at the departure end." Additionally, he stated that "density altitude was a concern since the temperature was 90 plus degrees with 65 or higher humidity which created a major lift problem for the machine."
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, he went to a friend’s farm field for a pleasure flight in his powered parachute. He took off about 1610 for a solo flight in the local area, with no problems. Upon landing, a friend indicated that he would like to go for a flight. The student pilot did not see a problem with this and proceeded to takeoff with the passenger. The student pilot said that "unfortunately, I made an error in judgment, in reference to the length and preparation of the field and did not clear the trees at the end of the field." The aircraft crashed into the trees at the end of the runway. The student pilot further stated that "this accident could have been prevented had I not made a judgment error as to the length, condition [and] type of field used for takeoff. The field was not of sufficient length to get airborne [and] was a non improved farm field with obstacles at the departure end." Additionally, he stated that "density altitude was a concern since the temperature was 90 plus degrees with 65 or higher humidity which created a major lift problem for the machine."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3511N
- Reported as
- Buckeye Breeze
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- 6241
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 66 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Thomas Whillock
- Registered owner
- James Thomas Whillock
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special light-sport (Special); Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- NONE · New Market, TN
- Destination
- NONE · New Market, TN
- Airport
- NONE · Private field
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 70
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 20 total · 20 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.