Southern Powered Parachute Condor accident near Rogersville, Missouri, December 25, 2011
On December 25, 2011 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Southern Powered Parachute Condor, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Rogersville, Missouri (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the takeoff area, which resulted in a loss of control due to the binding of the parachute's lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 2011 · about 9:00 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Rogersville, Missouri · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Southern Powered Parachute Condor
- Registration
- UNREG · registered outside the United States
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The unlicensed pilot reported that he performed a preflight inspection of the powered parachute before taking off from the grass airstrip in a hayfield. During the takeoff climb, the powered parachute entered a hard left turn. The pilot noticed that 2 to 4 of the lines attached to the leading and trailing edges of the parachute were stuck together. He pumped the left pedal, the lines came apart, and the powered parachute started to fly straight ahead. However, the powered parachute was nearing trees, and the pilot was unable to avoid a collision. After hitting a tree, the powered parachute descended uncontrolled and impacted the ground. The pilot reported that the lines were likely stuck together by straw from the hayfield that he was using as a takeoff area.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Flight control sys malf/fail during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Effect on equipment
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Flight surfaces (wing) › Malfunction other cases naming the airframe structure
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 35 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Rogersville MO at 9:00 pm
- Destination: Rogersville MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from SGF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 30, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Interview with Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Missouri State Police Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1: View of Paraglider at the Accident Site. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- Engine: Rotax 582 62 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Missouri 1,640 since 1982 · 219 in the last ten years
- Missouri 5,819 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under UNREG 10 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA114.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.