- Date
- March 2, 2013, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tracy, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7193KBuckeye Dream Machine
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 24, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130302003519A
- Case key
- 86337
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 pilot’s failure to see and avoid power lines during a climb.
Findings · 2
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 pilot reported that he was flying his powered parachute at various low altitudes, and that, during a climb along a ridgeline, it struck high-voltage transmission power lines less than 100 feet above ground level. The powered parachute descended to the ground and came to rest inverted, substantially damaging its structural tubing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the powered parachute that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was flying his powered parachute at various low altitudes, and during a climb along a ridgeline, struck high voltage transmission power lines that were less than 100 feet above ground level. The aircraft descended to the ground and came to rest inverted, substantially damaging its structural tubing. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7193K
- Reported as
- Buckeye Dream Machine
- Category
- Powered parachute
- Serial number
- 4904
- Airframe hours
- 272
- Engine
- Rotax 582UL, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John Hollis
- Registered owner
- John Hollis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 27, 2012 · 272 hours before
- Departed
- TCY · Tracy, CA
- Destination
- TCY · Tracy, CA
- Airport
- TCY · Tracy Municipal Airport
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
- 56
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- March 19, 2011
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 190 total · 185 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- LVK, 13 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 19, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 605 KB 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.