Pilot Debrief

Buckeye Breeze LX near Montague, CA — 2011-06-10

Final reportWPR11LA275
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Date
2011-06-10
Location
Montague, CA, USA
Aircraft
Buckeye Breeze LX
Registration
N300DN
Category
Powered parachute
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The unintended capture of the parachute bridle on a portion of the airframe during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a misinflated or misaligned parachute and an in-flight loss of control.

NTSB narrative

The owner/pilot took off in the special light-sport powered parachute, and the aircraft immediately started to veer to the left. The pilot responded by pulling on the right steering line. The flightpath was corrected, but the aircraft did not "feel right" to the pilot, and he began a right turn for a landing. As the aircraft turned crosswind, at an altitude of about 50 feet above a lake, it pitched up and fell backward into the lake, where it sank to the bottom. The pilot was able to free himself, despite serious injuries. The pilot reported that, at an unspecified date before the accident, he replaced the bridle with a different design than the original. During a flight after the bridle change but before the accident flight, the new bridle became caught on part of the airframe. The pilot was able to reach back to free the bridle and avoid a loss of control. Neither the bridle nor the airframe was modified in the period between the earlier event and the accident flight. Because the bridle and suspension cables significantly change their angles and positions relative to the chassis as the parachute inflates during the takeoff roll, it is critical that the design precludes the possibility for any cable to get caught on the airframe during that process; such capture could result in a misinflated or misaligned parachute, rendering control difficult or impossible. Neither the aircraft nor the bridle was examined after the accident, and the pilot did not provide detailed information regarding the design of the bridle or airframe structure. Therefore, although information provided by the pilot suggests that the bridle again caught on the airframe, the specific reason(s) for the capture could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when the aircraft did not feel right.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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