Buckeye Aviation BREEZE accident near Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, June 10, 2012
On June 10, 2012 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Buckeye Aviation BREEZE (powered parachute), registered N786DS, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania (Private Strip airport). It was a personal flight 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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the powered parachute, which resulted in a collision with trees during final approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of flight training.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2012 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania · Private Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Buckeye Aviation BREEZE · all BREEZEs on the register
- Registration
- N786DS · no longer on the register · serial 16319
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the powered parachute had been “pushed” by wind toward the trees throughout the approach. The parachute webbing became caught in the trees, and the undercarriage cart suspended below the parachute fell and impacted the ground on all three wheels. The pilot did not possess a pilot certificate and had received no formalized flight training. He had flown the powered parachute for about 15 hours before the accident. A postaccident examination revealed that the powered parachute sustained substantial damage to the undercarriage cart and that there were no pre-existing mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A 3-knot crosswind existed during the approach.
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 in flight during approach defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Training › Total instruct/training recvd › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 84 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 890 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lower Burrell PA
- Destination: Lower Burrell PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KAGC, 19 miles away
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.