Powrachute Llc AIRWOLF accident near Erie, CO
On September 20, 2023, a Powrachute Llc AIRWOLF was involved in an accident near Erie, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 20, 2023
- Place
- Erie, CO
- Aircraft
- Powrachute Llc AIRWOLF · PPAR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.072°N, 105.028°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230921193108
Official records · CEN23LA413
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On September 20, 2023, about 0910 mountain daylight time, a Powrachute LLC Airwolf 912ULS powered parachute, N820PP, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an incident at the Parkland Airport (7CO0), near Erie, Colorado. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Although the aircraft was substantially damaged and the pilot fatally injured, the event was not determined to have been an accident because the pilot likely did not intend to fly the aircraft at the time of the incident. Security camera video footage showed that the aircraft was stationed near the airport’s fuel farm. The video footage showed the pilot fuel the aircraft and then start the engine. The pilot then attempted to enter the right side of the aircraft and inadvertently sat on the throttle control. The throttle control was then bent in the “full throttle” position. The pilot was never strapped into the seat with the four-point restraint system and the aircraft departed across the airport. The aircraft entered a grass field, impacted terrain, cartwheeled, and the pilot was then ejected. The aircraft came to rest upright, with a nose-high attitude, in the grass field. The pilot was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries several hours later. There were no known witnesses to the accident sequence. An individual at the airport contacted first responders after observing the wreckage on the grass field. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, with substantial damage to
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadvertent manipulation of the throttle, which resulted in the aircraft traveling on the ground and the unsecured pilot being ejected from the aircraft and sustaining fatal injuries.
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Browse: Colorado
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
