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ERA16LA254

2016-07-10 · Hartford, Kentucky, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport JQD

Current FAA registration · N3519T

Make / Model
BUCKEYE DREAM MACHINE
Year of manufacture
2002 · 14 years old at event
Engine
ROTAX 582SER (65 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20071005
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3EC29

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined and the pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the aborted takeoff.

Factual narrative

On July 10, 2016, at 1845 central daylight time, a Buckeye Dream Machine powered parachute, N3519T, was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at Ohio County Airport (JQD), Hartford, Kentucky. The student pilot received serious injuries. The powered parachute was privately owned and operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight, which was originating at the time of the accident.According to the pilot, he prepared for takeoff from a parking lot at JQD. He started the engine and began the takeoff roll. During the takeoff roll the engine started to "sputter" and the pilot decided to abort the takeoff. While attempting to abort the takeoff, he "lost control" of the powered parachute and collided with a chain link fence. Examination of the powered parachute by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the left frame support tube was broken from the main tube structure. A mechanic performed a cursory examination of the engine and test run was performed. During the examination and test run, no anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation. The student pilot of the powered parachute reported that, during the takeoff roll from an airport parking lot, the engine started to "sputter," so he chose to abort the takeoff. While attempting to do so, he lost control of the powered parachute and collided with a fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. A postaccident examination and test run of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Fence/fence post-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_ERA16LA254.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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