Summary
On July 02, 2012, a Six Chutter SKY WRITER 2 (UNREG) was involved in an accident near Hamburg, NY. 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 operation of a powered parachute by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the non-certificated pilot’s loss of aircraft control while landing.
The pilot stated that he purchased the unregistered powered parachute on the internet. He stated he practiced taxiing in the grass beside the runway at a private airport for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and that during that time, he would occasionally fly the powered parachute about 5 feet off of the ground and set it back down in the grass. No one witnessed the accident, and the powered parachute was found at the scene inverted with the pilot inside. Postaccident inspection revealed substantial damage to the undercarriage frame and engine mounts. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident site stated that the pilot held no pilot certificate and that the pilot could not produce maintenance records for the powered parachute.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA472. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft UNREG.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The operation of a powered parachute by a non-certificated pilot. Contributing to the accident was the non-certificated pilot’s loss of aircraft control while landing.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
The pilot stated that he purchased the unregistered powered parachute on the internet. He stated he practiced taxiing in the grass beside the runway at a private airport for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and that during that time, he would occasionally fly the powered parachute about 5 feet off of the ground and set it back down in the grass. No one witnessed the accident, and the powered parachute was found at the scene inverted with the pilot inside. Postaccident inspection revealed substantial damage to the undercarriage frame and engine mounts. The FAA inspector who responded to the accident site stated that the pilot held no pilot certificate and that the pilot could not produce maintenance records for the powered parachute. The pilot further stated that he was unsure if any maintenance records existed. The pilot did not keep a pilot log book, had received no flight training, and stated that he had not experienced any mechanical issues with the powered parachute.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA12CA472