Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lexington, Kentucky 40509
Sunday, October 5, 2008 17:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During takeoff from an unimproved grass field, the student pilot of the experimental light sport aircraft powered parachute noticed the right end of the parachute was not fully inflated. He checked the left side of the parachute and it appeared to be fully inflated. When he looked back at the right side a second time, the parachute appeared to be "opened and centered." As he continued his takeoff roll, the student pilot realized he was approaching a shallow ditch and attempted to lift-off. The powered parachute then became airborne. The right main landing gear tire contacted the top of a power line. The power line broke and the aircraft was thrown forward. The buggy, housing the student pilot, oscillated under the parachute as it approached a second set of power lines. The powered-parachute contacted the second set of power lines and the buggy impacted trees approximately 10 feet above the ground, substantially damaging the buggy support bars, the frame, and the suspension lines to the parachute. The student pilot further stated that the powered parachute had no deficiencies during the takeoff and that, "I made a bad decision on the takeoff."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The student pilot's improper decision to continue the takeoff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/5/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lexington |
| Event State | KENTUCKY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 40509 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 375854N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0842446W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1654 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | LEX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 979 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.19 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24745 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2008 10:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N75331 |
| NTSB Number | ERA09CA003 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Buckeye |
| Aircraft Model | Dream Machine |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3821 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | -- |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 15 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 86.7 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Michael D Murphy |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lexington |
| Aircraft Owner State | KY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 40514-1513 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Michael D Murphy |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Lexington |
| Operator State | KY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 40514-1513 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Lexington |
| Departure State | KY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Lexington |
| Destination State | KY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2008 10:13PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |