N786DS

On June 10, 2012, a Buckeye Aviation BREEZE (N786DS) was involved in an accident near Lower Burrell, PA. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the powered parachute, which resulted in a collision with trees during final approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of flight training.

The pilot stated that the aircraft had been “pushed” by wind toward the trees throughout the approach. The parachute webbing became caught in the trees; the undercarriage fell and impacted the ground on all three wheels. The pilot did not possess a valid pilot certificate and had received no formalized flight training. He had flown the powered parachute for about 15 hours prior to the accident. A postaccident inspection revealed that the powered parachute sustained substantial damage to the undercarriage and that there were no pre-existing mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A three knot crosswind existed during the approach.

This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA389. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N786DS.