Ayres SR2 accident near Goldendale, Washington, September 1, 2007
On September 1, 2007 at about 3:35 pm local time, a Ayres SR2, registered N5180G, suffered minor damage in an accident near Goldendale, Washington (Unnamed Airstrip airport). It was an instructional 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 failure of the parachute wing to completely deploy, which resulted in the pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2007 · about 3:35 pm local time
- Place
- Goldendale, Washington · Unnamed Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ayres SR2
- Registration
- N5180G · no longer on the register · serial 2516
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental powered parachute aircraft collided with a fence during an aborted takeoff, resulting in serious injuries to the pilot. The student pilot's first takeoff and landing were uneventful. Prior to commencing the second takeoff in calm wind conditions, the pilot "checked and double checked [the] chute and aircraft...everything checked out." The pilot applied engine power and began taking off from the 40-acre field. The chute did not completely open and it appeared to be tucked in on the right side, which resulted in the chute drifting left. The pilot did not maintain directional control of his aircraft, and at 20 feet above the ground he elected to abort the climb as he approached the runway's end. The airplane impacted a nearby fence at full throttle.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 9 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 8 in the last 30 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Goldendale WA
- Destination: NONE Goldendale WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 00
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.