Powrachute PEGASUS N31520

Summary

On 28 September 2023 at about 23:30 local time, a Powrachute PEGASUS registered N31520 was involved in an accident near Caddo Mills, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 September 2023 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Caddo Mills, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Caddo Mills Municipal Airport (7F3)

Coordinates

33.0367, -96.2397

Aircraft

Powrachute PEGASUS

Registration

N31520

Year built

2006

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA424

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s inadequate rolling preflight, which resulted in a loss of directional control in flight and subsequent collision with an object during landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that there were no anomalies during his preflight inspection of the powered parachute. During the rolling preflight, he observed the wing was inflated overhead and he did not notice any anomalies with the wing or the control lines. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot experienced an uncontrolled left turn. He subsequently executed a landing near an airport hangar and impacted a parked trailer during the landing roll. The passenger reported to a law enforcement officer that after takeoff the pilot stated that there was a problem and that the parachute was tangled. Postaccident examination revealed the powered parachute’s tubular frame was fractured. The wing’s control lines and risers were attached to their respective mounting locations and flight control continuity was established from the airframe to the wing. Based on the available information, it is likely that during the inflation and takeoff roll the pilot failed to notice a pressure knot (a tangle or knot held together by tension on the suspension lines during deployment but not otherwise present) or a line-over (a malfunction where a suspension line is misrouted over the canopy), which resulted in an uncommanded steep turn and loss of directional control after departure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.