Powrachute PEGASUS accident near Cumming, Georgia, October 4, 2012
On October 4, 2012 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Powrachute PEGASUS (powered parachute), registered N580PG, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Cumming, Georgia (Ebeneezer Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The operation of the powered parachute by a non-certificated pilot, and his failure to maintain directional control during the initial climb, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 2012 · about 10:15 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Cumming, Georgia · Ebeneezer Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Powrachute PEGASUS · all PEGASUSs on the register
- Registration
- N580PG · registry record · serial A058 PEG
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The non-certificated pilot of the powered parachute reported that he aborted his first takeoff because the riser lines to the canopy became entangled. During the subsequent takeoff, the powered parachute encountered a "gust of wind" from the left, and the craft was pushed into trees on the right of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and canopy. After the accident, the pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation of the powered parachute.
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 initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 35 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 165 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 4, 2012; 7 hours since
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4GA9 Cumming GA at 10:15 pm
- Destination: 4GA9 Cumming GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 1,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from GVL, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on February 4, 2013. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector Statement Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1: View of Airframe Suspended in Tree (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2: View of Damaged Airframe (Courtesy FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N580PG on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Powrachute PEGASUS 112 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Powrachute 189 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Rotax 582 62 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Larry Watson Memorial · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,807 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA13CA009.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.