- Date
- January 18, 2020, 09:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Gold Canyon, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N260AZPowrachute Airwolf
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA, AFG-SDL-FSDO-07
- FAA report
- 20200118003649A
- Case key
- 100843
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 maintain directional control during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in collision with a barricade.
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 pilot stated that, during the takeoff roll in the powered parachute, the parachute "did not come up straight but to the side," so he aborted the takeoff. He reduced the throttle, but the powered parachute didn't slow down, and it pulled to the side of the runway. He tried applying brakes, but the front brake was on gravel and got locked up and would not turn the powered parachute, which then slid forward and hit a barricade. The steering bar and frame sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the powered parachute that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that during the takeoff roll, in the powered parachute, the parachute did not come up straight, but to one side so he aborted the takeoff. He reduced the throttle, but the aircraft didn't slow down and pulled him to one side of the runway. He tried applying brakes, but he was on gravel and the front brake locked up, and would not turn the aircraft. The aircraft then slid forward and hit a barricade. The steering bar and frame were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the aircraft that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N260AZ
- Reported as
- Powrachute Airwolf (912)
- Category
- Powered parachute, amateur-built
- Serial number
- A-053-ULS
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 290
- Engine
- Rotax URL912, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 7, 2019
- Departed
- Gold Canyon, AZ
- Destination
- Gold Canyon, AZ
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 51
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 550 total · 190 in this make and model · 550 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 6 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 32.27 inHg
- Observed at
- IWA, 15 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.