Buckeye DREAM MACHINE UNREG

Summary

On 4 July 2024 at about 23:20 local time, a Buckeye DREAM MACHINE registered UNREG was involved in an accident near Bainbridge, Georgia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 July 2024 at 23:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Bainbridge, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

30.9337, -84.6066

Aircraft

Buckeye DREAM MACHINE

Registration

UNREG

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colquitt → Bainbridge

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA297

1 person died.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB 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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.