ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 240421
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 29 May 2018 |
| Time: | 19:58 |
| Type: | Hughes Aero Corp Predator C |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N369SL |
| MSN: | PC010853W406 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 79 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 582ULDCDI |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Copemish, MI -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Copemish, MI (PVT) |
| Copemish, MI (PVT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The sport pilot and a passenger departed in a powered-parachute from the pilot's airstrip with calm winds. No anomalies were detected during the preflight inspection. After departure, the powered-parachute would not climb above 8 ft above ground level and was approaching 20-ft-tall trees. The pilot attempted to land between a wire fence and the tree line, and the powered-parachute subsequently impacted the ground and a tree base. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions during the flight and stated that the air was "heavier" than expected.
The field elevation at a nearby airport was 634 ft mean sea level (msl), and the calculated density altitude was about 2,821 ft msl. A review of a recent aerial photograph of the pilot's property showed a mowed 600-ft-long runway with a northwest-southeast orientation. At the time of the accident, no runway could be seen on the property because the grass was between 6 and 12 inches tall and appeared unused except for the accident flight.
The unmowed runway and high-density altitude conditions likely affected the powered-parachute's takeoff performance, which resulted in the aircraft being unable to clear the trees near the runway.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper decision to take off with a passenger in high-density altitude conditions from a runway with tall grass present, which resulted in the powered-parachute's poor takeoff performance and its inability to clear a tree line and led to a subsequent forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 23-Aug-2020 16:44 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation