Condor CONDOR accident near Freedom, Wisconsin, July 5, 2020
On July 5, 2020 at about 1:30 am local time, a 2003 Condor CONDOR (powered parachute), registered N3502X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Freedom, Wisconsin. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to initiate a climb in a timely manner which resulted in contact with wires.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2020 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Freedom, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Condor CONDOR, built 2003
- Registration
- N3502X · registry record · serial A114CDR
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was flying over his home's driveway with a passenger so a family member could take pictures as he flew over. He said he descended to an altitude he thought was above wires at the end of his driveway, which he estimated were 25 ft above the ground. As he tracked along the driveway he added full power to climb when he was about 500 ft from the wires, but the powered parachute climbed slowly and the left wheel caught a wire. The aircraft descended into the ground, substantially bending and damaging the aircraft's fuselage structure that included the parachute attachment point. The pilot indicated there were no mechanical anomalies with the aircraft that contributed to the accident.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 287 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 287 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 27, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 14, 2007; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582ULDCDI-99 (piston); 102 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Oneida WI
- Destination: Freedom WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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 September 10, 2020. 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 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.