Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Russellville, Tennessee 37860
Saturday, June 4, 2011 15:46 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The powered parachute collided with and remained suspended in trees. After responding, police officers and the pilot's son spoke to the pilot for about two to three minutes before the aircraft broke out of the treetops and fell to the ground. During the brief conversation between the pilot, his son, and the officers, the purpose of the flight and the circumstances of the collision with trees were not discussed. According to his son, the pilot reported, “The darn thing just quit.” The pilot subsequently died from his injuries and was not interviewed. Examination of the airframe at the scene revealed substantial damage to the airframe tubing and an estimated 5 gallons of fuel remaining in the 8-gallon fuel tank. Further examination revealed that the pilot had installed an auxiliary fuel line and shutoff valve, which was open, that connected to a 5-gallon gas can in the back seat; the gas can was empty. After the airframe examination, the engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption. According to the son of the pilot/owner, his father likely exhausted the fuel supply in the auxiliary fuel can, which starved the engine, and resulted in a total loss of engine power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s failure to switch fuel tanks when the fuel was exhausted, which resulted in fuel starvation and a total loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/4/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1546 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Russellville |
| Event State | TENNESSEE |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 37860 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 371713N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0831234W |
| 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 | 1553 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TYS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 981 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 37 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 6500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 33 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 29849 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern C-ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 8 2012 10:47AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3561F |
| NTSB Number | ERA11LA326 |
| 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 | 3449 |
| 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 | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CATTRELL JEFFERSON BUSHFIELD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | MORRISTOWN |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37814-8106 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CATTRELL JEFFERSON BUSHFIELD |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | MORRISTOWN |
| Operator State | TN |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 37814-8106 |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MOR |
| Departure City | Morristown |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1449 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | MOR |
| Destination City | Morristown |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 8 2012 10:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |