Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
North Huntingdon, Pennsylvania 15642
Saturday, September 29, 2012 15:58 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The noncertificated pilot was attempting to land a powered parachute in a field bordered on one side by trees and a residence on the other. Following two unsuccessful landing attempts, the pilot aborted a third landing attempt about 20 feet above the ground. During the climb, the powered parachute drifted to the right toward the trees. The pilot was unable to stop the drift with application of full left pedal and struck a tree. The pilot then increased the engine power to full, but the powered parachute continued to descend and impacted another tree. The parachute subsequently caught one of the tree limbs and fell straight down. The powered parachute impacted the ground on all three wheels, resulting in substantial damage to the undercarriage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation and stated that he should not have tried to land without the aid of a windsock and indicated wind direction.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The operation of a powered parachute by a noncertificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the noncertificated pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the climb following an aborted landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/29/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1558 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | North Huntingdon |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 15642 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 402147N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0794353W |
| 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) | 265 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KAGC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30807 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Allegheny FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 22 2013 1:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coln |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7508D |
| NTSB Number | ERA12CA587 |
| 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 | 582 DREAM MACHINE |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4680 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 8 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 214 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | James Stokes |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | West Newton |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 15089 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | James Stokes |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | West Newton |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 15089 |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure City | West Newton |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1500 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | West Newton |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 27 2012 2:21PM |
| User who most recently changed record | gots |
| 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 | -- |