Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ansley, Nebraska 68814
Tuesady, July 8, 2014 7:50 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On July 8, 2014, about 0750 central daylight time, a Buckeye Dream Machine powered parachute, N4394V, collided with a fence near Ansley, Nebraska. The non-certificated pilot was fatally injured and the passenger received minor injuries. The powered parachute was not damaged. The powered parachute was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight which operated without a flight plan. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
According to a statement obtained by the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector, a witness reported the pilot started and warmed up the engine. The pilot then planned to depart a 200-yard long grass field bordered on the east and west sides by a barbed wire fence. The passenger reported that attempted to depart to the west and the powered parachute did not become airborne. The pilot remarked to the passenger, "We are not going to make it" and turned the aircraft 180 degrees and headed east. The powered parachute did not raise from the ground and collided with the fence.
No anomalies were detected with the airframe and engine. The maintenance records were not recovered. The family of the pilot reported that the powered parachute had no mechanical issues and the pilot had never sought out an aircraft mechanic. An witness noted that the parachute appeared to be fully inflated during each take off attempt. The last known inspection on the powered parachute could not be determined.
There was no record that the pilot applied for or received any class of pilot certificate or medical certificate. A newspaper article written about the pilot flying the powered parachute was published in a local newspaper on July 17, 2006. The pilot registered the powered parachute with the Federal Aviation Administration on December 18, 2007, and received a special airworthiness certificate for the powered parachute on January 26, 2008. At the time of the application, the powered parachute is reported to have accumulated 152.4 hours. The pilot's total flight experience could not be determined.
An autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences. The cause of death was extensive blunt force trauma of the neck. The manner of death was ruled an accident. Forensic toxicology was performed on limited specimens from the pilot by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Testing was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs.
At 0753, an automated weather reporting station located at the Broken Bow Municipal Airport (KBBW), about 16 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, reported wind from 300 degrees at 10 knots, a clear sky, temperature 64 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 54 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure of 30.12 inches of mercury.
The reason for the powered parachute inability to gain sufficient altitude could not be determined. A review of the manufacturer's website on performance, noted that takeoff roll could vary between 150 to 500 feet. There was no evidence that the pilot tried to abort the takeoff, with sufficient runway to avoid colliding with the fence.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/8/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 750 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Ansley |
| Event State | NEBRASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 68814 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 411353N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0992400W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2400 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 753 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 319 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KBBW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2530 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 12 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KBBW 081253Z AUTO 30010KT 10SM CLR 18/12 A30 |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | LNK FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 10 2014 2:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4394V |
| NTSB Number | CEN14LA346 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | None |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | BUCKEYE |
| Aircraft Model | DREAM MACHINE |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 6062 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 800 |
| Aircraft Category | -- |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 1 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PALMER WAYNE L |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANSLEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | NE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 688145232 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | PALMER WAYNE L |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | ANSLEY |
| Operator State | NE |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 688145232 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Ansley |
| Departure State | NE |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 750 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Ansley |
| Destination State | NE |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2014 4:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | aguj |
| 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 | -- |