Buckeye DREAM MACHINE accident near Bainbridge, Georgia, July 4, 2024
On July 4, 2024 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Buckeye DREAM MACHINE (powered parachute), registered UNREG, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Bainbridge, Georgia. 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 non-certificated pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from powerlines while maneuvering at low altitude. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment due to alcohol and methamphetamine use.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2024 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Bainbridge, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Buckeye DREAM MACHINE · all DREAM MACHINEs on the register
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register · serial 0
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the unregistered powered parachute did not hold a Federal Aviation Administration-issued pilot or medical certificate. Witnesses stated that the pilot was flying over a highway when the powered parachute collided with powerlines and a postimpact fire ensued. Additionally, witness video showed the powered parachute flying low near the highway and powerlines just prior to the accident. The pilot was fatally injured and fire consumed a majority of the powered parachute. No pilot or aircraft maintenance logbooks were recovered. Toxicological testing results of the pilot’s blood were positive for ethanol and methamphetamine. It is likely that the pilot was impaired by both substances when he failed to avoid the powerlines.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illicit drug › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Colquitt GA at 10:50 pm
- Destination: NONE Bainbridge GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from BGE, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KBGE 042315Z AUTO 16004KT 10SM CLR 34/23 A2993 RMK AO2 T03390231=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 21, 2025. 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 | Memoranda for the Record - Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Medical Factual Report | PDF, 7 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Witness Video (18 Seconds, Mov File, 8MB) | MOV file · our copy | Download |
Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.