NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ERA24LA297
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The non-certificated pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from powerlines while maneuvering at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to alcohol and methamphetamine use.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the unregistered powered parachute did not hold a Federal Aviation Administration-issued pilot or medical certificate. Witnesses stated that the pilot was flying over a highway when the powered parachute collided with powerlines and a postimpact fire ensued. Additionally, witness video showed the powered parachute flying low near the highway and powerlines just prior to the accident. The pilot was fatally injured and fire consumed a majority of the powered parachute. No pilot or aircraft maintenance logbooks were recovered. Toxicological testing results of the pilot’s blood were positive for ethanol and methamphetamine. It is likely that the pilot was impaired by both substances when he failed to avoid the powerlines. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Alcohol-Pilot
- — Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Illicit drug-Pilot
- — Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Response/compensation
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2024_ERA24LA297.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗