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| Date: | Tuesday 8 July 2014 |
| Time: | 07:50 |
| Type: | Buckeye Dream Machine |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4394V |
| MSN: | 6062 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Engine model: | Rotax 582 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Ansley, NE -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Ansley, NE |
| Ansley, NE | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
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.
The noncertificated pilot attempted to depart from the 600-foot-long grass field to the west in a powered parachute, but it did not lift off, so he turned the powered parachute around and attempted to depart to the east. The powered parachute again did not lift off and subsequently collided with a fence. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Performance estimates for the powered parachute noted that the takeoff roll could vary between 150 and 500 ft. The closest aviation weather reporting station, located 16 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, reported a 10-knot wind from the northwest, which would have resulted in a headwind for the westerly takeoff attempt. It could not be determined why the powered parachute did not lift off during the westerly takeoff attempt. However, for the easterly takeoff attempt, it is likely the tailwind would have decreased the parachute’s takeoff performance. Had the pilot aborted the takeoff with sufficient runway remaining, the powered parachute might not have collided with the fence. There is no evidence that the pilot attempted to abort the takeoff before colliding with the fence, and it is unknown if the pilot perceived the imminent collision.
Probable Cause: The powered parachute's reduced takeoff performance in tailwind conditions for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the noncertificated pilot's decision to not abort the takeoff before the powered parachute collided with the fence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89625
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=4394V
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Jul-2014 16:56 | Geno | Added |
| 09-Jul-2014 17:55 | harro | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 30-Nov-2017 18:50 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Plane category, ] |
| 25-Dec-2024 06:56 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
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