Mischanko Buckeye Breeze accident near Walkerton, Indiana, May 27, 2008
On May 27, 2008, a Mischanko Buckeye Breeze (powered parachute), registered N623EM, suffered minor damage in an accident during takeoff near Walkerton, Indiana. It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The directional control of the parachute not obtained/maintained by the pilot during the takeoff roll. A contributing factor was separation of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2008
- Place
- Walkerton, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mischanko Buckeye Breeze
- Registration
- N623EM · registry record · serial 16338
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had been flight testing and adjusting the elliptical parachute on his light sport aircraft. He was taking off when the parachute overflew the cart and was no longer centered overhead. The rear landing gear lifted off the ground, but the nose landing gear remained on the ground. The nose landing gear then broke, and the cart spun around approximately 180 degrees to the left and came to rest on its left side. The pilot received serious injuries.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Flight time: 128 hours in all; 128 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582/99 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 59IN Walkerton IN
- Destination: 59IN Walkerton IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.