Sixchuter SPIRIT XL accident near Hovland, Minnesota, August 18, 2023
On August 18, 2023 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 2003 Sixchuter SPIRIT XL (powered parachute), registered N538DR, was destroyed in an accident near Hovland, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collision with the lake by a noncertificated pilot for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2023 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hovland, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sixchuter SPIRIT XL, built 2003 · all SPIRIT XLs on the register
- Registration
- N538DR · registry record · serial 2879
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot departed in the powered parachute on a local flight. When the pilot did not return for landing, search and rescue efforts were initiated that located the deceased pilot in a lake in about 44 ft of water. The aircraft was not located. Flight track information for the flight was not available. The pilot never held a medical certificate, and no pilot or maintenance logbooks were made available to the investigation. An autopsy of the pilot was performed, and the cause of death was hypothermia and drowning. Toxicology testing was negative for screened drugs and alcohol.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 528E (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: PRI Hovland MN at 11:30 pm
- Destination: PRI Hovland MN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from KGNA, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 25, 2024. 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 | Correspondence with FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Information from Pilot's Fiancee | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Information Near Level with Lake Superior | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Information About 1,200 Ft Above Lake Superior | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23LA376.