Powrachute PEGASUS accident near Caddo Mills, Texas, September 28, 2023
On September 28, 2023 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2006 Powrachute PEGASUS (powered parachute), registered N31520, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Caddo Mills, Texas (Caddo Mills Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate rolling preflight, which resulted in a loss of directional control in flight and subsequent collision with an object during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2023 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Caddo Mills, Texas · Caddo Mills Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Powrachute PEGASUS, built 2006 · all PEGASUSs on the register
- Registration
- N31520 · registry record · serial A430PEG
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that there were no anomalies during his preflight inspection of the powered parachute. During the rolling preflight, he observed the wing was inflated overhead and he did not notice any anomalies with the wing or the control lines. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot experienced an uncontrolled left turn. He subsequently executed a landing near an airport hangar and impacted a parked trailer during the landing roll. The passenger reported to a law enforcement officer that after takeoff the pilot stated that there was a problem and that the parachute was tangled. Postaccident examination revealed the powered parachute’s tubular frame was fractured. The wing’s control lines and risers were attached to their respective mounting locations and flight control continuity was established from the airframe to the wing. Based on the available information, it is likely that during the inflation and takeoff roll the pilot failed to notice a pressure knot (a tangle or knot held together by tension on the suspension lines during deployment but not otherwise present) or a line-over (a malfunction where a suspension line is misrouted over the canopy), which resulted in an uncommanded steep turn and loss of directional control after departure.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › (general) › Inadequate inspection
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: powered-lift
- Flight time: 66 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 50 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 422.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 26, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 1,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from KGVT, 9 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGVT 282335Z AUTO 15005KT 10SM CLR 32/17 A2990 RMK AO2 TSNO T03230170
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 CEN23LA424.